Appeal No. 2004-1935 Page 2
Application No. 09/308,403
17. A process for effecting oxidative gelation of a water soluble
hemicellulose-based composition comprising non-cellulosic, non-starch
hemicellulose material, wherein the hemocellulosic material comprises at
least one polysacchardie and at least one polysaccharide is redox
enzymes, said generation comprising the steps of:
(a) providing oxygen to the composition and/or
(b) providing water to the composition; and/or
(c) providing oxidase substrate to the composition; and/or
(d) activating one or more of the redox enzymes.
The examiner relies on the following references:
Crawford et al. (Crawford) 5,200,338 Apr. 6, 1993
Greenshields et al. (Greenshields) 5,530,112 Jun. 25, 1996
Claims 1-3, 7-26, and 28-59 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as obvious in
view of Greenshields and Crawford.
We affirm.
Background
“Plant tissue, especially cell wall material, contains hemicelluloses. The term
‘hemicellulose’ is a term of art used to embrace non-cellulosic, non-starch plant
polysaccharides.” Specification, page 1. Arabinoxylan is one important class of
hemicellulose. See id. “Phenolic acid (including ferulic acid) and acetyl substituents
occur at intervals along the arabinoxylan chains.” Page 2.
“Aqueous extracts of many hemicellulose fractions are known to form gels (or
viscous media) when treated with oxidizing agents. The phenomenon is known as
‘oxidative gelation’ in the art but the term is used [in the specification] in a somewhat
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