To provide a method for the catalytic reduction of an oligosaccharide, and simultaneously a reduced oligosaccharide to be prepared by the method.
The method for reducing a malt-oligosaccharide mixture comprises a step of giving a catalyst bed containing a hydrogenation catalyst; a step of giving a malt-oligosaccharide mixture containing a plurality of malt-oligosaccharide species (a plurality of the malt-oligosaccharide species at least having different DP (degree of polymerization) values by which the DP profile of the mixture is determined); and a step of continuously introducing the malt-oligosaccharide mixture and hydrogen into the catalyst bed under sufficient hydrogenation conditions to catalytically hydrogenate the mixture to substantially reduce its DE (dextrose equivalent) (the conditions being suitable for substantially keeping the DE profile of the mixture, and the catalytic hydrogenation being carried out under a pressure of at least about 1,500psi).
BARRESI FRANK W
Shosuke Imai
Tadashi Masui
Yasushi Kobayashi
Hiroyuki Tomita
Hiroaki Noya