Degradation of complex carbohydrate: Immobilization of pectinase from Bacillus licheniformis KIBGE-IB21 using calcium alginate as a support

Microwave-Assisted Degradation of Polysaccharide from Polygonatum sibiricum and Antioxidant Activity

Four polysaccharide fractions (P-1: 71.40%, P-2: 1.95%, P-3: 1.14%, P-4: 1.64%) were isolated from crude Polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharide (PSP), processed by water extraction, ethanol precipitation, and further separated with diethylaminoethyl cellulose-52 anion-exchange chromatography. Their molecular weights and monosaccharide compositions were characterized by high performance gel chromatography with evaporative light scattering detector and ultraviolet-visible detector. The antioxidant activity of four polysaccharides fractions were assessed by the electron transfer menchanism (DPPH, ferric reducing power, and ABST assays) and chelation of transition metals (Fe²⁺ and Cu²⁺ chelation ability). The highest content fraction P-1 exhibited the lowest antioxidant activity, and the ranking of antioxidant capacity was P-4 > P-3 > P-2 > PSP > P-1. After processed by microwave-assisted degradation, the molecular weight of P-1 was decreased from 2.99 × 10⁵ to 2.33 × 10³ Da, while the antioxidant activity of degraded P-1 was about eightfold higher than natural P-1. These results indicated that the proposed microwave-assisted degradation approach was an efficacious methodology to improve their bioactivity by lower the molecular weight of polysaccharides. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This study provided an environmentally friendly, convenient and efficient microwave-assisted degradation technology to process the neutral polysaccharides from Polygonatum sibiricum. The results could be used for the development and utilization of various plant polysaccharides as a kind of food supplement in our daily life.

A novel strategy to synthesize dual-responsive polymeric nanocarriers for investigating the activity and stability of immobilized pectinase

A dual-stimuli-responsive support material for pectinase immobilization through ionic bonding was prepared. Specifically, polystyrene-b-polymethylacrylic (PS-b-PMAA), light- and pH-sensitive polystyrene-(5-propargylether-2-nitrobenzyl bromoisobutyrate)-b-poly(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate-b-poly(polyethylene glycol methacrylate) (PS-ONB-PDEAEMA-b-PPEGMA) were synthesized through atom transfer radical polymerization, click chemistry, and hydrolysis. The two parts could self-assemble into the micelles in an aqueous solution. The micelles shrunk at a higher pH, and their size reduced under UV irradiation. The stimuli-responsive properties of micelles were characterized by dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy. It has been found that this support was able to adsorb 10 U/mL of immobilized pectinase (approximately 223 mg/g) at pH 5.0 and 60 °C for 60 Min. Meanwhile, the highest relative activity of immobilized pectinase was up to approximately 95% at pH 5.0 and 60 °C. The immobilized pectinase retained more than 50% of the initial activity after eight cycles. The relative activity of the pectinase immobilized on the supports without UV irradiation was approximately 3% lower than that after UV irradiation at 60 °C, indicating that tailoring of enzyme activity was achieved by changing environmental conditions. Apparently, the original enzymatic support material had a great application prospect on enzyme immobilization.

Development of co-immobilized tri-enzyme biocatalytic system for one-pot pretreatment of four different perennial lignocellulosic biomass and evaluation of their bioethanol production potential

Today, many researchers are focusing on research for alternative promising energy sources and sustainable technology for bioethanol production to meet the increasing global energy demand. Here, we develop a novel one-pot pretreatment technology by co-immobilizing laccase, cellulase and β-glucosidase to act as a tri-enzyme biocatalyst for evaluating the bioethanol production potential of four sustainable lignocellulosic biomasses viz., Typha angustifolia, Arundo donax, Saccharum arundinaceum, and Ipomoea carnea. The co-immobilized enzyme system was more stable at different temperatures and at longer storage, compared to free enzyme. During enzymatic saccharification, Saccharum arundinaceum showed higher total reducing sugar of 205 ± 3.73 mg/g when compared to other biomass. The highest percentage of bioethanol yield of 63.43 ± 9.35% was obtained with Ipomoea carnea. The effects of co-immobilized tri-enzyme biocatalyst on the biomasses were evaluated. The results revealed that the co-immobilized tri-enzyme biocatalyst could act as effective one-pot pretreatment for the production of bioethanol from lignocellulosic biomass.

Co-immobilization of pectinase and glucoamylase onto sodium aliginate/graphene oxide composite beads and its application in the preparation of pumpkin-hawthorn juice

Co-immobilization of pectinase and glucoamylase onto sodium alginate/graphene oxide beads was achieved by N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide/N-hydroxysuccinimide as activating agent. The co-immobilized pectinase-glucoamylase (I-PG) prepared under optimal conditions (pH 4.0, 40°C and 35 min) possessed pectinase activity of 1,227.5 ± 36.5U/g and glucoamylase activity of 1,027.2 ± 29.2U/g, with activity recovery of 73.8% and 85.2%, respectively. Both pectinase and glucoamylase in I-PG possessed wider pH tolerance and superior thermal stability to those of their free counterparts. Reusability studies indicated that both enzymes in I-PG retained over 60% of initial activity after six times of reuse. Conditions for the hydrolysis of the pumpkin-hawthorn compound juice by I-PG were optimized using orthogonal experiments. After treatment with I-PG, light transmittance, soluble solids, and reducing sugar content in the resulting juice increased significantly, whereas soluble protein and pectin content decreased appreciably. Therefore, the use of I-PG provided an effective and feasible method for improving quality of the pumpkin-hawthorn juice. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: In order to overcome the drawbacks of using free pectinase and glucoamylase, an effective method for the co-immobilization of these two enzymes onto sodium alginate/graphene oxide beads was developed. The co-immobilized pectinase/glucoamylase developed in this study could be applied in the clarification of juice rich in pectin and starch.

Purification and catalytic behavior optimization of lactose degrading β-galactosidase from Aspergillus nidulans

The β-galactosidase is an industrially valuable enzyme and used to hydrolyze the lactose into glucose and galactose. Considering the broad utility profile in food industry, β-galactosidase from Aspergillus nidulans was purified and characterized in term of its catalytic properties and stability. It displayed highest catalytic efficiency at 60 °C after 10.0 min within acidic pH environment (pH 5). The β-galactosidase exhibited 100% and 60% catalytic activity at 40 °C and 50 °C, respectively even after 120.0 min. The β-galactosidase activity was remained stable in the presence of Zn²⁺, Ni²⁺, and Mg²⁺ ions. The activity was also retained in all investigated organic solvents except DMSO at various ionic concentrations. The surfactants Triton X-100 and SDS caused positive impact on the catalytic activity of enzyme at 1.0 mM concentration. However, the percent relative activity of β-galactosidase was significantly reduced when incubated with EDTA. The molecular mass of β-galactosidase estimated to be 95 kDa. The SEM micrographs of ONPG before and after β-galactosidase treatment indicated a remarkable difference in the morphology and proved the strong catalytic strength of enzyme. The β-galactosidase also demonstrated exceptional storage stability at - 80 °C, - 20 °C and 4 °C by retaining 86, 79 and 70% activity even after 100.0 days.

Immobilization of an Endo-β-N-acetylglucosaminidase for the Release of Bioactive N-glycans

As more is learned about glycoproteins' roles in human health and disease, the biological functionalities of N-linked glycans are becoming more relevant. Protein deglycosylation allows for the selective release of N-glycans and facilitates glycoproteomic investigation into their roles as prebiotics or anti-pathogenic factors. To increase throughput and enzyme reusability, this work evaluated several immobilization methods for an endo-β-N-acetylglucosaminidase recently discovered from the commensal Bifidobacterium infantis. Ribonuclease B was used as a model glycoprotein to compare N-glycans released by the free and immobilized enzyme. Amino-based covalent method showed the highest enzyme immobilization. Relative abundance of N-glycans and enzyme activity were determined using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Kinetic evaluation demonstrated that upon immobilization, both V_max and the K_m decreased. Optimal pH values of 5 and 7 were identified for the free and immobilized enzyme, respectively. Although a higher temperature (65 vs. 45 °C) favored rapid glycan release, the immobilized enzyme retained over 50% of its original activity after seven use cycles at 45 °C. In view of future applications in the dairy industry, we investigated the ability of this enzyme to deglycosylate whey proteins. The immobilized enzyme released a higher abundance of neutral glycans from whey proteins, while the free enzyme released more sialylated glycans, determined by nano-LC Chip Q-ToF MS.

Immobilization of an alkaline endopolygalacturonase purified from Bacillus paralicheniformis exhibits bioscouring of cotton fabrics

Pectin degrading enzyme has been increasing interest in an industrial application as biocatalysts, such as juice, textile, and wine industry. Bacillus paralicheniformis CBS3, isolated from popular traditional Korean food (kimchi), produced a novel extracellular thermostable alkaline endopolygalacturonase (BPN3). In this study, BPN3 was purified to 22.04-fold with a recovery yield of 18.93% and specific activity of 2216.41 U/mg by gel filtration and anion exchange column chromatography. The molecular mass of BPN3 was approximately 53 kDa as analyzed by SDS-PAGE and pectic zymography. The N-terminal sequence of BPN3 was AIPVILAX. BPN3 was stable over a broad pH range (8.14-11.47), was thermally stable at 50-60 °C, and functioned optimally in pH 9.1 at 60 °C. BPN3 had K_m and V_max values of 0.039 mg/mL and 747.9 ± 1.2 U mg^- 1, respectively, whereas pectin from apple as substrate. BPN3 activity was remarkably affected by metal ions, modulators, and detergents. Digalacturonic acid (GA₂) was the major oligosaccharide produced by hydrolysis of BPN3. Immobilized BPN3 was active over a pH range (8.1-11.5), temperature (50-60)°C, and remained stable with 63.34 and 43.41% of its relative activity during second and third cycle, respectively. Desized cotton exhibited highest reducing sugar liberation through optimized conditions of bioscouring. Bioscouring effectiveness of BPN3 was characterized by the comparison of weight loss for purified BPN3 with commercial pectinase and comparison of BPN3 with grey fabric. BPN3 was simple to purify, had high thermal stability, and was stable over a broad pH range that suggests its suitability for bioscouring application as an industrial catalyst.

Characterization and interplay of bacteriocin and exopolysaccharide-mediated silver nanoparticles as an antibacterial agent

Metallic nanoparticles have a substantial scientific interest because of their distinctive physicochemical and antimicrobial properties and the emergence of multidrug resistant pathogens could unlock the potential of nanoparticles to combat infectious diseases. The aim of the current study is to enhance the antibacterial potential of purified bacteriocin by combining bacteriocin and antibacterial silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). Hence, the interaction of natural antimicrobial compounds and antibacterial nanoparticles can be used as a potential tool for combating infectious diseases. In this study, a green, simple and effective approach is used to synthesize antibacterial AgNPs using fungal exopolysaccharide as both a reducing and stabilizing agent. The AgNPs were characterized by spectroscopic analysis, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS). Furthermore, the synergistic effect of bacteriocin-AgNPs was determined against pathogenic strains. The histogram of AgNPs indicated well-dispersed, stabilized and negatively charged particles with variable size distribution. The combination of bacteriocin with nanoparticles found to be more effective due to broad antibacterial potential with possibly lower doses. The current study is imperative to provide an alternative for the chemical synthesis of silver nanoparticles. It showed environmental friendly and cost effective green synthesis of antibacterial nanoparticles.

Removal of acetaminophen in water by laccase immobilized in barium alginate

This research has focused on the optimization of immobilized laccase condition and utilization in degradation of acetaminophen contaminated in aqueous solution. Laccase from Lentinus polychrous was immobilized in barium alginate. The effects of laccase immobilization such as sodium alginate concentration, barium chloride concentration and gelation time were studied. The optimal conditions for immobilization were sodium alginate 5% (w/v), barium chloride 5% (w/v) and gelation time of 60 min. Immobilized laccase was then used for acetaminophen removal. Acetaminophen was removed quickly in the first 50 min. The degradation rate and percentage of removal increased when the enzyme concentration increased. Immobilized laccase at 0.57 U/g-alginate showed the maximum removal at 94% in 240 min. The removal efficiency decreased with increasing initial acetaminophen concentration. The K_m value for immobilized laccase (98.86 µM) was lower than that of free laccase (203.56 µM), indicating that substrate affinity was probably enhanced by immobilization. The immobilized enzyme exhibited high activity and good acetaminophen removal at pH 7 and temperature of 35°C. The activation energies of free and immobilized laccase for degradation of acetaminophen were 8.08 and 17.70 kJ/mol, respectively. It was also found that laccase stability to pH and temperature increased after immobilization. Furthermore, immobilized laccase could be reused for five cycles. The capability of removal and enzyme activity were retained above 70%.

Micro- and nano-capsulated fungal pectinase with outstanding capabilities of eliminating turbidity in freshly produced juice

The present study aimed to compare the pectinase forms produced from Trichoderma viride-free, micro-capsule, and nano-capsule-in sodium alginate to analyze the pectin that causes the turbidity of orange juice. This was performed along with an estimation of viscosity, residual of pectin, and turbidity. The extracted and purified enzyme was 24.35-fold better than that of the crude enzyme. After application of free one, it loses most of the activity on low degrees of acidity and remains constant on the temperatures of pasteurization. Therefore, the tested enzyme was encapsulated by two different ways using the same polymer. The morphology of the three pectinase forms was obtained by transmission electron microscopy, and the micrographs clearly showed the pores on the surface of sodium alginate matrix after encapsulation. The size of the wall (sodium alginate) ranged from 3.24 to 3.76 µm diameter but was 3.15 µm for core of enzyme. Micro-capsuled and nano-capsuled pectinase can be used in the hydrolysis of pectic substances in orange juice with natural ways and maintaining the quality of final product. Consequently, the cost of juice clarifying can be reduced due to reusing the enzyme several times.

Small RNA mediated repression of subtilisin production in Bacillus licheniformis

The species Bacillus licheniformis includes important strains that are used in industrial production processes. Currently the physiological model used to adapt these processes is based on the closely related model organism B. subtilis. In this study we found that both organisms reveal significant differences in the regulation of subtilisin, their main natural protease and a product of industrial fermentation processes. We identified and characterized a novel antisense sRNA AprAs, which represents an RNA based repressor of apr, the gene encoding for the industrial relevant subtilisin protease. Reduction of the AprAs level leads to an enhanced proteolytic activity and an increase of Apr protein expression in the mutant strain. A vector based complementation of the AprAs deficient mutant confirmed this effect and demonstrated the necessity of cis transcription for full efficiency. A comparative analysis of the corresponding genome loci from B. licheniformis and B. subtilis revealed the absence of an aprAs promoter in B. subtilis and indicates that AprAs is a B. licheniformis species specific phenomenon. The discovery of AprAs is of great biotechnological interest since subtilisin Carlsberg is one of the main products of industrial fermentation by B. licheniformis.

Production of High Commercial Value Xylooligosaccharides from Meranti Wood Sawdust Using Immobilised Xylanase

The present study explores the utilisation of a new raw material from lignocellulose biomass, Meranti wood sawdust (MWS) for high commercial value xylooligosaccharides (XOS) production using immobilised xylanase. The xylanase was immobilised by a combination of entrapment and covalent binding techniques. The hemicellulosic xylan from MWS was extracted using a standard chlorite delignification method. The production of total and derivatives of XOS from the degradation of the hemicellulosic xylan of MWS were compared to the production from the commercial xylan from Beechwood. The utilisation of the extracted xylan from MWS yielded 0.36 mg/mL of total XOS after 60 h of hydrolysis. During the hydrolysis reaction, the immobilised xylanase released a lower degree of polymerisation (DP) of XOS, mainly X2 and X3, which were the major products of xylan degradation by xylanase enzymes. The production of XOS with a lower DP from MWS demonstrated the biotechnological potential of the MWS in the future. The XOS production retained about 70% of its initial XOS production during the second cycle. This is also the first report on the utilisation of MWS wastes in enzymatic hydrolysis using immobilised xylanase for XOS production.

Characteristics of pectinase treated with ultrasound both during and after the immobilization process

In this study, ultrasound was applied both during and after the immobilization process and characteristics of different immobilized pectinase samples were studied. When introduced during the immobilization process, ultrasound at an intensity of 9WmL^-1 for 20min increased the immobilization yield 92.28% more than the control. When introduced to the already immobilized pectinase, ultrasound at an intensity of 4.5WmL^-1 for 10min increased the pectinase activity by 30.05%. Results of scanning electron microscope demonstrated that ultrasound increased surface area and loosened structures of immobilized enzymes. Higher V_max and lower K_m were obtained after ultrasound treatment, indicating the increased catalytic efficiency and enhanced affinity of immobilized pectinase. Furthermore, the optimum temperature and pH for free and immobilized pectinase remained unchanged at 50°C and pH 4. Thermostability, reaction stability and reusability of two ultrasound-treated pectinase enzymes slightly decreased due to structural matrix changes.

Immobilization of alkaline polygalacturonate lyase from Bacillus subtilis on the surface of bacterial polyhydroxyalkanoate nano-granules

Alkaline polygalacturonate lyase (PGL), one of the pectinolytic enzymes, has been widely used for the bioscouring of cotton fibers, biodegumming, and biopulp production. In our study, PGL from Bacillus subtilis was successfully immobilized on the surface of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) nanogranules by fusing PGL to the N-terminal of PHA synthase from Ralstonia eutropha via a designed linker. The PGL-decorated PHA beads could be simply achieved by recombinant fermentation and consequent centrifugation. The fused PGL occupied 0.985% of the total weight of purified PHA granules, which was identified by mass spectrometer-based quantitative proteomics. The activity of immobilized PGL (184.67 U/mg PGL protein) was a little lower than that of the free PGL (215.93 U/mg PGL protein). The immobilization process did not affect the optimal pH and the optimal temperature of the PGL, but it did enhance the thermostability as well as the pH stability at certain conditions, which will extend the practicability of the immobilized PGL-PHA beads in the alkaline and generally harsh bioscouring process. Furthermore, the immobilized PGL still retained more than 60% of its initial activity after 8 cycles of reuse. Our study provided a novel and promising approach for cost-efficient in vivo PGL immobilization, contributing to wider commercialization of this environmental-friendly biocatalyst.

Neosartorya glabra polygalacturonase produced from fruit peels as inducers has the potential for application in passion fruit and apple juices

Summary Polygalacturonases are enzymes with the biotechnological potential for use in fruit juice clarification and for the enhancement of filtration efficiency. The aim of this work was to assess the production of polygalacturonase by the fungus Neosartorya glabra by means of solid-state and submerged fermentation using fruit peel residues as the carbon source, and also apply the enzyme in the clarification and decrease in viscosity of passion fruit and apple juices. The highest polygalacturonase (4.52 U/g/h) production was obtained by means of submerged fermentation in Vogel´s medium (1964) containing orange peel – Bahia variety (Citrus sinensis), at a concentration of 1.5% (w/v, dried mass) at 30-35°C for 72 h. The polygalacturonase of the crude extract presented optimal activity at 60°C and pH 5.5. The enzyme retained around 90% of the initial activity after 180 minutes at 40°C, and 50% of the initial activity after 150 minutes at 50°C. The enzyme was shown to be stable at acid pH values (3.0-6.5) after 120 minutes at 25oC. All these favourable enzymatic properties make the polygalacturonase attractive for potential uses in the industry of pectin-rich fruit juices, since the application of the crude extract to passion fruit (Passiflora edulis) juice caused an 80% reduction in viscosity and 75% decrease in light absorbance. In the processing of apple pulp juice (Malus domestica), there was a 50% reduction in viscosity and 78% decrease in light absorbance.

Improved antioxidant and anti-tyrosinase activity of polysaccharide from Sargassum fusiforme by degradation

An efficient method for the degradation of polysaccharides isolated from Sargassum fusiforme (PSF) was developed by using ascorbic acid in combination with H2O2. The degradation conditions were optimized using a Box-Behnken response surface design (BBRS). The optimum conditions were established as: concentration of ascorbic acid (VC) and H2O2 17.26mM, degradation temperature 51°C and degradation time 1.6h. The DPPH radical scavenging rate of the degraded polysaccharides from S. fusiforme (DPSF) obtained under the optimal conditions was determined to be 75.22±0.02%, which was well matched with the value (75.21%) predicted by the BBRS model. In vitro antioxidant activity of the polysaccharides was evaluated by determining their radical (hydroxyl radical, superoxide anion radical and DPPH radical) scavenging abilities, and ferric iron reducing power. The inhibitory activity on tyrosinase of DPSF was also evaluated. The results indicate that the degraded polysaccharide has superior antioxidant activity and anti-tyrosinase effect to those of the original polysaccharide.

Recent advances in immobilization strategies for glycosidases

Glycans play important biological roles in cell-to-cell interactions, protection against pathogens, as well as in proper protein folding and stability, and are thus interesting targets for scientists. Although their mechanisms of action have been widely investigated and hypothesized, their biological functions are not well understood due to the lack of deglycosylation methods for large-scale isolation of these compounds. Isolation of glycans in their native state is crucial for the investigation of their biological functions. However, current enzymatic and chemical deglycosylation techniques require harsh pretreatment and reaction conditions (high temperature and use of detergents) that hinder the isolation of native glycan structures. Indeed, the recent isolation of new endoglycosidases that are able to cleave a wider variety of linkages and efficiently hydrolyze native proteins has opened up the opportunity to elucidate the biological roles of a higher variety of glycans in their native state. As an example, our research group recently isolated a novel Endo-β-N-acetylglucosaminidase from Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis ATCC 15697 (EndoBI-1) that cleaves N-N'-diacetyl chitobiose moieties found in the N-linked glycan (N-glycan) core of high mannose, hybrid, and complex N-glycans. This enzyme is also active on native proteins, which enables native glycan isolation, a key advantage when evaluating their biological activities. Efficient, stable, and economically viable enzymatic release of N-glycans requires the selection of appropriate immobilization strategies. In this review, we discuss the state-of-the-art of various immobilization techniques (physical adsorption, covalent binding, aggregation, and entrapment) for glycosidases, as well as their potential substrates and matrices. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 33:104-112, 2017.

Characteristic features and dye degrading capability of agar-agar gel immobilized manganese peroxidase

Immobilization of enzymes has been regarded as an efficient approach to develop biocatalyst with improved activity and stability characteristics under reaction conditions. In the present study, purified manganese peroxidase (MnP) from Ganoderma lucidum IBL-05 was immobilized in agar-agar support using entrapment technique. Maximum immobilization yield was accomplished at 4.0% agar-agar gel. The immobilized MnP exhibited better resistance to changes in pH and temperature than the free enzyme, with optimal conditions being pH 6.0 and 50 °C. The kinetic parameters Km and Kcat/Km for free and entrapped MnP were calculated to be 65.6 mM and 6.99 M(-1) s(-1), and 82 mM and 8.15 M(-1) s(-1), respectively. Thermo-stability was significantly improved after immobilization. After 120 h, the insolubilized MnP retained its activity up to 71.9% and 60.3% at 30 °C and 40 °C, respectively. It showed activity until 10th cycle and retained 74.3% residual activity after 3th cycle. The effects of H2O2, ionic strength and potential inhibitors on activity of free and immobilized enzyme were investigated. Moreover, the decolorization of three structurally different dyes was monitored in order to assess the degrading capability of the entrapped MnP. The decolorization efficiencies for all the tested dyes were 78.6-84.7% after 12h. The studies concluded that the toxicity of dyes aqueous solutions was significantly reduced after treatment. The remarkable catalytic, thermo-stability and re-cycling features of the agar-agar immobilized MnP display a high potential for biotechnological applications.

Continuous degradation of maltose by enzyme entrapment technology using calcium alginate beads as a matrix

Maltase from Bacillus licheniformis KIBGE-IB4 was immobilized within calcium alginate beads using entrapment technique. Immobilized maltase showed maximum immobilization yield with 4% sodium alginate and 0.2 M calcium chloride within 90.0 min of curing time. Entrapment increases the enzyme-substrate reaction time and temperature from 5.0 to 10.0 min and 45 °C to 50 °C, respectively as compared to its free counterpart. However, pH optima remained same for maltose hydrolysis. Diffusional limitation of substrate (maltose) caused a declined in Vmax of immobilized enzyme from 8411.0 to 4919.0 U ml-1 min-1 whereas, Km apparently increased from 1.71 to 3.17 mM ml-1. Immobilization also increased the stability of free maltase against a broad temperature range and enzyme retained 45% and 32% activity at 55 °C and 60 °C, respectively after 90.0 min. Immobilized enzyme also exhibited recycling efficiency more than six cycles and retained 17% of its initial activity even after 6th cycles. Immobilized enzyme showed relatively better storage stability at 4 °C and 30 °C after 60.0 days as compared to free enzyme.

Improved Enzyme Catalytic Characteristics upon Glutaraldehyde Cross-Linking of Alginate Entrapped Xylanase Isolated from Aspergillus flavus MTCC 9390

Purified fungal xylanase was entrapped in alginate beads. Its further cross-linking using glutaraldehyde resulted in large enzyme aggregates which may function as both a catalyst and a support material for numerous substrate molecules. Enzyme cross-linking presented a negative impact on enzyme leaching during repeated washings and recovery of enzyme activity was substantial after twelve cycles of usage. The entrapment followed by cross-linking doubled the total bound activity and also greatly improved the enzyme stability at extreme chemical environment. The wide pH stability, better thermo- and storage stability, lowered K_m value, and protection from some metal ions are salient achievements of present immobilization. The study shows the efficacy, durability, and sustainability of immobilized catalytic system which could be efficiently used for various juice processing operations.

Preliminary investigations on a polygalacturonase from Aspergillus fumigatus in Chinese Pu’er tea fermentation

Background

Polygalacturonase is one kind of pectinases which hydrolyze the alpha-1,4 glycosidic bond between galacturonic acid residue. Polygalacturonase has been widely used in the fields of food, biofuel, and textile industries, in which thermostable polygalacturonase is often demanded at high temperatures of 50–60 °C. Herein, we reported a thermostable polygalacturonase producing from Aspergillus fumigatus isolated from the pile fermentation of Pu’er tea in China.

Results

The thermophilic polygalacturonase-producing strain was identified as A. fumigatus L45 on basis of its morphology, physicochemical properties, and 18S rDNA analysis. The crucial fermentation parameters affecting polygalacturonase activity were optimized by response surface methodology (RSM); the optimum fermentation parameters were the following: inoculums concentration of 0.07 % (v/v), fermentation time of 36 h, pH of 5.0, and temperature of 45 °C. Under the optimized conditions, the highest polygalacturonase activity of 359.1 ± 10.1 U/mL was obtained. The polygalacturonase showed good thermostability and pH stability. The enzyme was activated by metal ions Zn2+ and Mg2+, but inhibited by K+. However, Na+ and Ca2+ showed little effects on its activity. K m and V max values were estimated to be 35.0 mg/mL and 7.69 μmol/mL/min, respectively.

Conclusions

A polygalacturonase from A. fumigatus L45 was preliminarily investigated, the crucial fermentation parameters were optimized by RSM, and the properties of polygalacturonase was examined. The polygalacturonase showed good thermostability and pH stability, which suggested the enzyme has potential applications in the biofuel and textile industries.

Depolymerization of polysaccharides from Opuntia ficus indica: Antioxidant and antiglycated activities

The extraction, purification and degradation of polysaccharides from Opuntia ficus indica cladodes, as well as the evaluation of their antioxidant and antiglycated activities in vitro were investigated. The optimization of the extraction showed that extraction by ultrasound at 40 °C presented the best carbohydrates yield. The degradation of the extracted polysaccharides was achieved by free radical depolymerization with H2O2 in the presence of copper(II) acetate for various reaction times. Sugar contents were determined by colorimetric assays. The macromolecular characteristics of the different isolated and degraded carbohydrates were carried by size exclusion chromatography (SEC/MALS/VD/DRI). These experiments showed that all samples are polysaccharides, which are probably pectins and that molecular weight (Mw) has decreased from 6,800,000 to 14,000 g/mol after 3 h of depolymerization without changing the structure. Preliminary antioxidant and antiglycated tests indicated that degraded polysaccharides for 2 and 3 h showed even better antioxidant and antiglycated activities.

Calcium alginate matrix increases the stability and recycling capability of immobilized endo-β-1,4-xylanase from Geobacillus stearothermophilus KIBGE-IB29

Exploration of microbial pool from extremely diversified ecosystem is significantly important for various industrial applications. Bacterial communities from extreme habitats including volcanic vents, hot springs, and industrial sectors are eagerly explored for the isolation of thermophiles. Geobacillus stearothermophilus KIBGE-IB29, isolated from blast furnace site of a steel processing industry, is capable of producing thermostable endo-β-1,4-xylanase. In the current study, this enzyme was immobilized within calcium alginate beads using entrapment technique. Amalgamation of sodium alginate (40.0 gL(-1)) and calcium chloride (0.4 M) was used for the formation of immobilized beads. It was observed that temperature (50 °C) and pH (7.0) optima of immobilized enzyme remained same, but enzyme-substrate reaction time increased from 5.0 to 30.0 min as compared to free enzyme. Diffusion limit of high molecular weight xylan (corncob) caused a decline in V max of immobilized enzyme from 4773 to 203.7 U min(-1), whereas K m value increased from 0.5074 to 0.5722 mg ml(-1) with reference to free enzyme. Immobilized endo-β-1,4-xylanase showed its stability even at high temperatures as compared to free enzyme and retained 18 and 9 % residual activity at 70 and 80 °C, respectively. Immobilized enzyme also exhibited sufficient recycling efficiency up to five reaction cycles which indicated that this enzyme can be a plausible candidate in paper and pulp industry.

Improved stability and enhanced efficiency to degrade chlorimuron-ethyl by the entrapment of esterase SulE in cross-linked poly (γ-glutamic acid)/gelatin hydrogel

Free enzymes often undergo some problems such as easy deactivation, low stability, and less recycling in biodegradation processes, especially in soil condition. A novel esterase SulE, which is responsible for primary degradation of a wide range of sulfonylurea herbicides by methyl or ethyl ester de-esterification, was expressed by strain Hansschlegelia sp. CHL1 and entrapped for the first time in an environment-friendly, biocompatible and biodegradable cross-linked poly (γ-glutamic acid)/gelatin hydrogel (CPE). The activity and stability of CPE-SulE were compared with free SulE under varying pH and temperature condition by measuring chlorimuron-ethyl residue. Meanwhile, the three-dimensional network of CPE-SulE was verified by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that CPE-SulE obviously improved thermostability, pH stability and reusability compared with free SulE. Furthermore, CPE-SulE enhanced degrading efficiency of chlorimuron-ethyl in both soil and water system, especially in acid environment. The characteristics of CPE-SulE suggested the great potential to remediate chlorimuron-ethyl contaminated soils in situ.

Synthesis of a hybrid polymer-inorganic biomimetic support incorporating in situ pectinase from Aspergillus niger ATCC 9642

The hybrid alginate/gelatin/calcium oxalate (AGOCa) support was successfully synthesized through the biomimetic mineralization method for immobilization in situ of a pectinolytic extract from Aspergillus niger ATCC 9642 via entrapment technique. The efficiency of immobilization reached 72.7%. Sodium oxalate buffer (100 mM, pH 5.5) was selected as adjuvant of the immobilization process by allowing the formation of a calcified shell around the calcium alginate capsule, significantly increasing the stability to storage, thermal and recycling of the enzymatic immobilized pectinolytic extract. The pH and temperature for maximum activity were from 5.0 to 6.0 and 60 to 80 °C, respectively. The new hybrid support can be a potential alternative to obtain immobilized pectinases with properties for advantageous industrial applications.