PROCESS FOR PRODUCING SUGAR ALCOHOL AND SUGAR FROM AGRICULTURAL PRODUCT OR AGRICULTURAL BY-PRODUCT

摘要

Disclosed is an inexpensive and convenient process for producing a sugar alcohol and/or a sugar, which can utilize an agricultural product or agricultural by-product containing a component derived from a cell wall such as cellulose, hemicellulose and pectin without requiring any pretreatment for converting the component into a water-soluble material with an acid, an alkali or an enzyme and does not require neutralization with a pH-adjusting agent, an acid or an alkali or the like. A sugar alcohol such as arabitol, sorbitol and mannitol and/or a sugar such as arabinose, glucose and maltose can be produced conveniently at low cost by heating or heating under pressure an agricultural product or agricultural by-product containing a component derived from a cell wall without any modification or after simply mechanically grinding the agricultural product or agricultural by-product, in the presence or absence of a catalyst.