Immobilization of Alkaline Protease From Bacillus brevis Using Ca-Alginate Entrapment Strategy for Improved Catalytic Stability, Silver Recovery, and Dehairing Potentialities

Carboxylated nanocellulose from quinoa husk for enhanced protease immobilization and stability of protease in biotechnological applications

Herein, an efficient and feasible approach was developed to oxidize low-cost agricultural waste (quinoa husk, QS) for the synthesis of carboxylated nanocellulose (CNC). The as-prepared rod-like CNCs (average diameter of 10 nm and length of 103 nm) with a high specific surface area (173 m2/g) were utilized for the immobilization of a model protease enzyme (PersiProtease1) either physically or via covalent attachment. For chemical immobilization, CNCs were firstly functionalized with N, N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC) to provide DCNCs nanocarrier which could covalently bond to enzyme trough nucleophilic substitution reaction and formation of the amide bond between DCNCs and enzyme. The immobilization efficiency, activity, stability, kinetic parameters, and reusability of covalently attached and physically immobilized PersiProtease1 were similar to those of the free enzyme. Enzyme immobilization resulted in higher thermal stability of the enzyme at elevated temperatures (> 80 °C), and the covalently immobilized enzyme displayed higher reusability than its physically immobilized form (56% vs. 37% activity, after 15 consecutive cycles), which would be rooted in a more tightly attached and less leached enzyme in the case of PersiProtease1/DCNCs. This study demonstrates the significance of using agricultural by-products and the enhanced performance and stability of immobilized proteases.

Biotransformation of the Fluoroquinolone Antibiotic, Levofloxacin, by the Free and Immobilized Secretome of Coriolopsis gallica

Antibiotics play a crucial role in human and animal medical healthcare, but widespread use and overuse of antibiotics poses alarming health and environmental issues. Fluoroquinolones constitute a class of antibiotics that has already become ubiquitous in the environment, and their increasing use and high persistence prompt growing concern. Here we investigated a fungal secretome prepared from the white-rot fungus Coriolopsis gallica, which is able to effectively degrade the environmentally persistent fluoroquinolone, levofloxacin. We tested various physical-chemical factors such as concentrations of 1-hydroxybenzotriazol (HBT), of enzyme, and of antibiotic, and pH and temperature of the reaction for biotransformation of the antibiotic. We compared the free with the immobilized Coriolopsis gallica secretome proteins, and analyzed the collective reaction products for residual activity against E. coli (growth inhibition test). We also performed HPLC analysis. The results show that treatment with the free secretome yielded a highest removal efficiency of 50 mg L-1 levofloxacin in the presence of 2.5 mM HBT, whereas the immobilized secretome was only able to degrade 10 mg L-1 levofloxacin with the same concentration of mediator, but presenting the advantage of being reusable.

Revolutionizing protein hydrolysis in wastewater: Innovative immobilization of metagenome-derived protease in periodic mesoporous organosilica with imidazolium framework

This research focused on utilizing periodic mesoporous organosilica with imidazolium framework (PMO-IL), to immobilize a metagenome-sourced protease (PersiProtease1), thereby enhancing its functional efficiency and catalytic effectiveness in processing primary proteins found in tannery wastewater. The successful immobilization of enzyme was confirmed through the use of N2 adsorption-desorption experiment, XRD, FTIR, TEM, FESEM, EDS and elemental analytical techniques. The immobilized enzyme exhibited greater stability in the presence of various metal ions and inhibitors compared to its free form. Furthermore, enzyme binding to PMO-IL nanoparticles (NPs) reduced leaching, evidenced by only 11.41 % of enzyme leakage following a 120-min incubation at 80 °C and 6.99 % after 240 min at 25 °C. Additionally, PersiPro@PMO-IL maintained impressive operational consistency, preserving 62.24 % of its activity over 20 cycles. It also demonstrated notable stability under saline conditions, with an increase of 1.5 times compared to the free enzyme in the presence of 5 M NaCl. The rate of collagen hydrolysis by the immobilized protease was 46.82 % after a 15-minute incubation at 60 °C and marginally decreased to 39.02 % after 20 cycles indicative of sustained efficacy without significant leaching throughout the cycles. These findings underscore the effectiveness of PMO-IL NPs as a viable candidate for treating wastewater containing protein.

Immobilization of Horseradish Peroxidase on Ca Alginate-Starch Hybrid Support: Biocatalytic Properties and Application in Biodegradation of Phenol Red Dye

In this study, horseradish peroxidase was extracted, purified, and immobilized on a calcium alginate-starch hybrid support by covalent bonding and entrapment. The immobilized HRP was used for the biodegradation of phenol red dye. A 3.74-fold purification was observed after precipitation with ammonium sulfate and dialysis. An immobilization yield of 88.33%, efficiency of 56.89%, and activity recovery of 50.26% were found. The optimum pH and temperature values for immobilized and free HRP were 5.0 and 50 °C and 6.5 and 60 °C, respectively. The immobilized HRP showed better thermal stability than its free form, resulting in a considerable increase in half-life time (t1/2) and deactivation energy (Ed). The immobilized HRP maintained 93.71% of its initial activity after 45 days of storage at 4 °C. Regarding the biodegradation of phenol red, immobilized HRP resulted in 63.57% degradation after 90 min. After 10 cycles of reuse, the immobilized HRP was able to maintain 43.06% of its initial biodegradative capacity and 42.36% of its enzymatic activity. At the end of 15 application cycles, a biodegradation rate of 8.34% was observed. In conclusion, the results demonstrate that the immobilized HRP is a promising option for use as an industrial biocatalyst in various biotechnological applications.

Biochemical characterization of immobilized recombinant subtilisin and synthesis and functional characterization of recombinant subtilisin capped silver and zinc oxide nanoparticles

This pioneering research explores the transformative potential of recombinant subtilisin, emphasizing its strategic immobilization and nanoparticle synthesis to elevate both stability and therapeutic efficacy. Achieving an impressive 95.25 % immobilization yield with 3 % alginate composed of sodium along with 0.2 M CaCl2 indicates heightened pH levels and thermal resistance, with optimal action around pH 10 as well as 80 °C temperature. Notably, the Ca-alginate-immobilized subtilisin exhibits exceptional storage longevity and recyclability, affirming its practical viability. Comprehensive analyses of the recombinant subtilisin under diverse conditions underscore its adaptability, reflected in kinetic enhancements with increased Vmax (10.7 ± 15 × 103 U/mg) and decreased Km (0.19 ± 0.3 mM) values post-immobilization using N-Suc-F-A-A-F-pNA. UV-visible spectroscopy confirms the successful capping of nanoparticles made of Ag and ZnO by recombinant subtilisin, imparting profound antibacterial efficacy against diverse organisms and compelling antioxidant properties. Cytotoxicity was detected against the MCF-7 breast cancer line of cells, exhibiting IC50 concentrations at 8.87 as well as 14.52 µg/mL of AgNP as well as ZnONP, correspondingly, indicating promising anticancer potential. Rigorous characterization, including FTIR, SEM-EDS, TGA and AFM robustly validate the properties of the capped nanoparticles. Beyond therapeutic implications, the investigation explores industrial applications, revealing the versatility of recombinant subtilisin in dehairing, blood clot dissolution, biosurfactant activity, and blood stain removal. In summary, this research unfolds the exceptional promise of recombinant subtilisin and its nanoparticles, presenting compelling opportunities for diverse therapeutic applications in medicine. These findings contribute substantively to biotechnology and healthcare and stimulate avenues for further innovation and exploration.

Utilizing immobilized recombinant serine alkaline protease from Bacillus safensis lab418 in wound healing: Gene cloning, heterologous expression, optimization, and characterization

Microbial proteases have proven their efficiency in various industrial applications; however, their application in accelerating the wound healing process has been inconsistent in previous studies. In this study, heterologous expression was used to obtain an over-yielding of the serine alkaline protease. The serine protease-encoding gene aprE was isolated from Bacillus safensis lab 418 and expressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3) using the pET28a (+) expression vector. The gene sequence was assigned the accession number OP610065 in the NCBI GenBank. The open reading frame of the recombinant protease (aprEsaf) was 383 amino acids, with a molecular weight of 35 kDa. The yield of aprEsaf increased to 300 U/mL compared with the native serine protease (SAFWD), with a maximum yield of 77.43 U/mL after optimization conditions. aprEsaf was immobilized on modified amine-functionalized films (MAFs). By comparing the biochemical characteristics of immobilized and free recombinant enzymes, the former exhibited distinctive biochemical characteristics: improved thermostability, alkaline stability over a wider pH range, and efficient reusability. The immobilized serine protease was effectively utilized to expedite wound healing. In conclusion, our study demonstrates the suitability of the immobilized recombinant serine protease for wound healing, suggesting that it is a viable alternative therapeutic agent for wound management.

Immobilization of alkaline protease produced by Streptomyces rochei strain NAM-19 in solid state fermentation based on medium optimization using central composite design

This study evaluated Streptomyces rochei strain NAM-19 solid-state fermentation of agricultural wastes to produce alkaline protease. Alkaline protease production increased with flaxseed, rice bran, and cheese whey fermentation reaching 147 U/mL at 48 h. Statistical optimization of alkaline protease production was performed using the central composite design (CDD). Results of CDD and the optimization plot showed that 4.59 g/L flaxseed, 4.31 g/L rice bran, 4.17 mL cheese whey, and a vegetative inoculum size of 7.0% increased alkaline protease production by 27.2% reaching 186 U/mL. Using the 20-70% ammonium sulfate fractionation method, the optimally produced enzyme was partially purified to fivefold. The partially purified alkaline protease was then covalently immobilized on a biopolymer carrier, glutaraldehyde-polyethylene-imine-κ-carrageenan (GA-PEI-Carr), with 90% immobilization efficiency. Characterizations revealed that immobilization improved thermostability, reusability, optimum temperature, and sensitivity towards metal ions of the free enzyme. The optimal temperature for free and immobilized enzymes was 40 and 50 °C, respectively. Both enzymes had the same optimum pH of 10. Immobilization increased Km from 19.73 to 26.52 mM and Vmax from 56.7 to 62.5 mmol min-1L-1. The immobilized enzyme retained 35% of its initial activity at 70 °C, while the free enzyme retained only 5%. The immobilized enzyme kept 80% of its initial activity at the 20th cycle. After 7 weeks of storage, the free enzyme lost all its initial activity, whereas the immobilized enzyme retained 50%. The free and immobilized enzymes were able to hydrolyze gelatin, and azo-casein demonstrating different relative activity, 85, 80, 90 and 95%, respectively, compared to casein (100%).

Approach towards sustainable leather: Characterization and effective industrial application of proteases from Bacillus sps. for ecofriendly dehairing of leather hide

Tanneries are one of the most polluted industries known for production of massive amount of solid and liquid wastes without proper management and disposal. In this project we demonstrated the ecofriendly single step dehairing of leather hides with minimum pollution load. In this study, Bacillus species (Bacillus paralicheniformis strain BL.HK, Bacillus cereus strain BS.P) capable of producing proteases was successfully isolated by employing the new optimized selective media named M9-PEA as confirmed by 16sRNA genes sequencing. Sequence of 1493 bp long 16S rRNA genes of Bacillus paralicheniformis strain BL.HK and Bacillus cereus strain BS. P was submitted to GenBank under the accession number OP612692.1, OP612721.1 respectively The Bacillus paralicheniformis strain BL.HK, Bacillus cereus strain BS.P produced extracellur proteases of 28 and 37 KDa as resolved by SDS-PAGE respectively. The enzymes showed temperature optima at 50 °C and 55 °C and pH optima at 8.5, 9.5 respectively. The Proteases of Bacillus paralicheniformis strain BL.HK, Bacillus cereus strain BS.P were employed for dehairing of animal hides. The process resulted in significant removal of interfibriller substances without damage to collagen layer after one hour treatment, which was confirmed by histology, scanning electron microscopy. The quantification of various skin constituents (collagen, uronic acid, hexosamines, and GAGs) and pollution load parameters revealed that enzymatic treatment are more reliable. The results of skin application trials at industrial level with complete elimination of chemicals remark the biotechnological potential of these proteases for ecofriendly dehairing of animal hides without affecting the quality of the leathers produced.

Biochemical characterization of acid proteases from the stomach of palometa (Pygocentrus nattereri, Kner 1858) with potential industrial application

Pepsin is one of the major enzymes with significant importance in the food industry, biomedicines, and pharmaceutical formulations. In this work, the main objective was to biochemically characterize a pepsin-like enzymatic extract obtained from Pygocentrus nattereri, a predatory freshwater fish, focusing on their potential industrial application. The obtained extract exhibited optimal activity at 45 °C and pH 1.0-2.0. These proteases remained stable after 2 h of incubation at temperatures ranging from 0° to 45 °C and within pH range of 1.0 to 7.0. Their activity was significantly affected in presence of pepstatin A and SDS, 10 μM and 3.46 mM respectively, while EDTA and PMSF showed partial inhibitory effects. Divalent cations (Ca2+ and Mg2+) did not inhibit the proteolytic activity of the extract; in fact, it improved at a 5 mM CaCl2 concentration. As the NaCl concentration increased, the enzyme activity decreased. However, after desalination, 90 % of the activity was recovered within the tested exposure time. Besides, this extract demonstrated exceptional versatility across diverse industrial applications, including collagen extraction augmentation, IgG hydrolysis facilitation, and silver and polyester recovery from X-ray films. Our results suggest that the obtained enzymatic extract has a wide range of potential applications.

Stable and effective eco-enzyme cocktails in powder and liquid form of Stachybotrys microspora used as detergent additives

Objective

The present work aims to optimize fermentation parameters for the simultaneous production of eco-enzymes: proteases, amylases, and endoglucanases from the same fungus Stachybotrys microspora, and to evaluate their stability in free form and formulated in lye as detergent additives.

Methods

Initially, enzyme cocktail production was assayed in a medium comprising inexpensive waste biomass. Using the best substrate, we investigated the effect of its different concentrations and the NaCl concentration on the three enzymes co-production. Next, we studied the effect of several additives on the storage stability of the lyophilized enzyme cocktail (powder in liquid forms) free and incorporated in commercial laundry detergent. Finally, the washing efficiency analysis of the newly formulated enzyme cocktail was evaluated on dirty tissue pieces with different stains.

Results

The highest enzymatic cocktail production was achieved at 30 °C for 96 h after adding 0.1% NaCl and 1.5% wheat bran as waste biomass in the basal culture medium. The effect of adding maltodextrin, sucrose, or polyethylene glycol 4000 during freeze-drying showed that maltodextrin is the best additive to protect the activities of proteases, amylases, and cellulases of liquid and powder enzyme form. Additionally, the liquid formulation of these enzymes showed excellent stability and compatibility with 1% maltodextrin and 10% glycerol. Interestingly, we have developed a new formulation of an enzyme cocktail (liquid and powder) stable and highly compatible with detergents. Comparing the washing performance of different formulations containing our enzyme cocktail to commercial ones showed significantly better removal of different types of stains.

Conclusions

This research shows a cost-effective approach to simultaneously produce proteases, amylases, and endoglucanases from Stachybotrys microspora that could be considered a compatible detergent additive in the green detergent industry.

Proteases immobilized on nanomaterials for biocatalytic, environmental and biomedical applications: Advantages and drawbacks

Proteases have gained significant scientific and industrial interest due to their unique biocatalytic characteristics and broad-spectrum applications in different industries. The development of robust nanobiocatalytic systems by attaching proteases onto various nanostructured materials as fascinating and novel nanocarriers has demonstrated exceptional biocatalytic performance, substantial stability, and ease of recyclability over multiple reaction cycles under different chemical and physical conditions. Proteases immobilized on nanocarriers may be much more resistant to denaturation caused by extreme temperatures or pH values, detergents, organic solvents, and other protein denaturants than free enzymes. Immobilized proteases may present a lower inhibition. The use of non-porous materials in the immobilization prevents diffusion and steric hindrances during the binding of the substrate to the active sites of enzymes compared to immobilization onto porous materials; when using very large or solid substrates, orientation of the enzyme must always be adequate. The advantages and problems of the immobilization of proteases on nanoparticles are discussed in this review. The continuous and batch reactor operations of nanocarrier-immobilized proteases have been successfully investigated for a variety of applications in the leather, detergent, biomedical, food, and pharmaceutical industries. Information about immobilized proteases on various nanocarriers and nanomaterials has been systematically compiled here. Furthermore, different industrial applications of immobilized proteases have also been highlighted in this review.

Comparison of Immobilized and Free Amyloglucosidase Process in Glucose SyrupsProduction from White Sorghum Starch

Optimum conditions for glucose syrups production from white sorghum were studied through sequential liquefaction and saccharification processes. In the liquefaction process, a maximum dextrose equivalent (DE) of 10.98 % was achieved using 30 % (w/v) of starch and Termamyl ɑ-amylase from Bacillus licheniformis. Saccharification was performed by free and immobilized amyloglucosidase from Rhizopus mold at 1 % (w/v). DE values of 88.32 % and 79.95 % were obtained from 30 % (w/v) of starch with, respectively, free and immobilized enzyme. The immobilized Amyloglucosidase in calcium alginate beads showed reusable capacity for up to 6 cycles with 46 % of the original activity retained. The kinetic behaviour of immobilized and free enzyme gives Km value of 22.13 and 16.55 mg mL-1 and Vmax of 0.69 and 1.61 mg mL-1  min-1 , respectively. The hydrolysis yield using immobilized amyloglucosidase were lower than that of the free one. However, it is relevant to reuse enzyme without losing activity in order to trim down the overall costs of enzymatic bioprocesses as starch transformation into required products in industrial manufacturing. Hydrolysis of sorghum starch using immobilized amyloglucosidase represents a promising alternative towards the development of the glucose syrups production process and its utilization in various industries.

The Green Era of Food Packaging: General Considerations and New Trends

Recently, academic research and industries have gained awareness about the economic, environmental, and social impacts of conventional plastic packaging and its disposal. This consciousness has oriented efforts towards more sustainable materials such as biopolymers, paving the way for the “green era” of food packaging. This review provides a schematic overview about polymers and blends of them, which are emerging as promising alternatives to conventional plastics. Focus was dedicated to biopolymers from renewable sources and their applications to produce sustainable, active packaging with antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. In particular, the incorporation of plant extracts, food-waste derivatives, and nano-sized materials to produce bio-based active packaging with enhanced technical performances was investigated. According to recent studies, bio-based active packaging enriched with natural-based compounds has the potential to replace petroleum-derived materials. Based on molecular composition, the natural compounds can diversely interact with the native structure of the packaging materials, modulating their barriers, optical and mechanical performances, and conferring them antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Overall, the recent academic findings could lead to a breakthrough in the field of food packaging, opening the gates to a new generation of packaging solutions which will be sustainable, customised, and green.

Esterases as emerging biocatalysts: Mechanistic insights, genomic and metagenomic, immobilization, and biotechnological applications

Esterase enzymes are a family of hydrolases that catalyze the breakdown and formation of ester bonds. Esterases have gained a prominent position in today's world's industrial enzymes market. Due to their unique biocatalytic attributes, esterases contribute to environmentally sustainable design approaches, including biomass degradation, food and feed industry, dairy, clothing, agrochemical (herbicides, insecticides), bioremediation, biosensor development, anticancer, antitumor, gene therapy, and diagnostic purposes. Esterases can be isolated by a diverse range of mammalian tissues, animals, and microorganisms. The isolation of extremophilic esterases increases the interest of researchers in the extraction and utilization of these enzymes at the industrial level. Genomic, metagenomic, and immobilization techniques have opened innovative ways to extract esterases and utilize them for a longer time to take advantage of their beneficial activities. The current study discusses the types of esterases, metagenomic studies for exploring new esterases, and their biomedical applications in different industrial sectors.

Carrier-Free Cross-linked Laccase Crystals for Biocatalytic Degradation of Textile Industrial Effluents

Herein, laccase from Trametes versicolor was used to fabricate carrier-free cross-linked laccase crystals (CLLCs) and deployed as a robust catalyst for waste effluent treatment. The surface morphology and involvement of functional group attributes of CLLCs were scrutinized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). As fabricated CLLCs were subjected to kinetic characterization by assessing the effects of pH environment, thermal profile, and substrate (determination of K_m and V_max) on the activity. A fully characterized CLLCs fraction was used to treat synthetic dyes containing waste effluents taken from various industries, i.e., Chenab Textile Industry, M-tax, Sitara, and National Silk & Rayon Mills. Degradation profile revealed 36.8%, 27.6%, 39.9%, and 26.4% degradation of Chenab Textile Industry, M-tax, Sitara, and National Silk & Rayon Mills, respectively, by the free form of laccase, whereas the biocatalytic activity of CCLCs led to 78.6%, 75.6%, 85.5%, and 63.3% degradation of those effluents. The decrease in peak and mass region alongside the presence of new peaks in GC-MS affirms the effective decolorization of contaminated waste effluents. CLLCs retained over 70% and 50% of their degradation activity after 3 and 5 cycles, respectively. In conclusion, CLLCs might represent a robust bioprocess to improve the usability of laccase for various synthetic dyes containing waste effluents to diminish environmental pollution from the dye-based industries.

Fungal Proteases as Emerging Biocatalysts to Meet the Current Challenges and Recent Developments in Biomedical Therapies: An Updated Review

With the increasing world population, demand for industrialization has also increased to fulfill humans' living standards. Fungi are considered a source of essential constituents to produce the biocatalytic enzymes, including amylases, proteases, lipases, and cellulases that contain broad-spectrum industrial and emerging applications. The present review discussed the origin, nature, mechanism of action, emerging aspects of genetic engineering for designing novel proteases, genome editing of fungal strains through CRISPR technology, present challenges and future recommendations of fungal proteases. The emerging evidence revealed that fungal proteases show a protective role to many environmental exposures and discovered that an imbalance of protease inhibitors and proteases in the epithelial barriers leads to the protection of chronic eosinophilic airway inflammation. Moreover, mitoproteases recently were found to execute intense proteolytic processes that are crucial for mitochondrial integrity and homeostasis function, including mitochondrial biogenesis, protein synthesis, and apoptosis. The emerging evidence revealed that CRISPR/Cas9 technology had been successfully developed in various filamentous fungi and higher fungi for editing of specific genes. In addition to medical importance, fungal proteases are extensively used in different industries such as foods to prepare butter, fruits, juices, and cheese, and to increase their shelf life. It is concluded that hydrolysis of proteins in industries is one of the most significant applications of fungal enzymes that led to massive usage of proteomics.

Biocatalytic remediation of pharmaceutically active micropollutants for environmental sustainability

The discharge of an alarming number of recalcitrant pollutants from various industrial activities presents a serious threat to environmental sustainability and ecological integrity. Bioremediation has gained immense interest around the world due to its environmentally friendly and cost-effective nature. In contrast to physical and chemical methods, the use of microbial enzymes, particularly immobilized biocatalysts, has been demonstrated as a versatile approach for the sustainable mitigation of environmental pollution. Considerable attention is now devoted to developing novel enzyme engineering approaches and state-of-the-art bioreactor design for ameliorating the overall bio-catalysis and biodegradation performance of enzymes. This review discusses the contemporary and state of the art technical and scientific progress regarding applying oxidoreductase enzyme-based biocatalytic systems to remediate a vast number of pharmaceutically active compounds from water and wastewater bodies. A comprehensive insight into enzyme immobilization, the role of mediators, bioreactors designing, and transformation products of pharmaceuticals and their associated toxicity is provided. Additional studies are necessary to elucidate enzymatic degradation mechanisms, monitor the toxicity levels of the resulting degraded metabolites and optimize the entire bio-treatment strategy for technical and economical affordability.

Occurrence, environmental fate, ecological issues, and redefining of endocrine disruptive estrogens in water resources

The growing persistence of estrogenic pollutants in water resources is a worrying concern because of their endocrine disrupting activities and potentially hazardous consequences on the environmental matrices, ecology, and human health, even at low concentration. The long-term persistence of steroidal estrogens leads to their bioaccumulation in aquatic organisms that can further reach to humans via food chain route. Considering the toxicity of steroidal estrogens, it is important to mitigate these environmentally related hazardous contaminants. So far, several treatment methods, like adsorption, oxidation, irradiation, and electrochemical techniques have been proposed to eliminate estrogens from aqueous ecosystems. Nevertheless, high operational costs, insufficient removal, generation of toxic sludge, and the necessity of skilled maintenance and operating workers are the major hindrances associated with large scale applications. Bioremediation of steroidal estrogens using enzyme-based biocatalytic system has recently emerged as a promising alternative to remove and bio-transform estrogens from aqueous systems. However, the current literature lacks a critique focusing specifically and comprehensively on steroidal estrogens. The presented review is a critical assessment of the existing literature on steroid-based endocrine disruptive estrogens. A detailed description about the occurrence and eco-fate of steroidal estrogens is given with representative examples. The later half of the review stresses on the redefining (removal) of endocrine disruptive estrogens in water resources with particular reference to enzyme-based approaches.

Thermostable trypsin-like protease by Penicillium roqueforti secreted in cocoa shell fermentation: Production optimization, characterization, and application in milk clotting

The increased demand for cheese and the limited availability of calf rennet justifies the search for milk-clotting enzymes from alternative sources. Trypsin-like protease by Penicillium roqueforti was produced by solid-state fermentation using cocoa shell waste as substrate. The production of a crude enzyme extract that is rich in this enzyme was optimized using a Doehlert-type multivariate experimental design. The biochemical characterization showed that the enzyme has excellent activity and stability at alkaline pH (10-12) and an optimum temperature of 80°C, being stable at temperatures above 60°C. Enzymatic activity was maximized in the presence of Na⁺ (192%), Co²⁺ (187%), methanol (153%), ethanol (141%), and hexane (128%). Considering the biochemical characteristics obtained and the milk coagulation activity, trypsin-like protease can be applied in the food industry, such as in milk clotting and in the fabrication of cheeses.

Nanobiocatalysts: Advancements and applications in enzyme technology

Nanobiocatalysts are one of the most promising biomaterials produced by synergistically integrating advanced biotechnology and nanotechnology. These have a lot of potential to improve enzyme stability, function, efficiencyand engineering performance in bioprocessing. Functional nanostructures have been used to create nanobiocatalystsbecause of their specific physicochemical characteristics and supramolecular nature. This review covers a wide range of nanobiocatalysts including polymeric, metallic, silica and carbon nanocarriers as well as their recent developments in controlling enzyme activity. The enormous potential of nanobiocatalysts in bioprocessing in designing effective laboratory trials forapplications in various fields such as food, pharmaceuticals, biofuel, and bioremediation is also discussed extensively.

Microbial proteases: ubiquitous enzymes with innumerable uses

Proteases are ubiquitous enzymes, having significant physiological roles in both synthesis and degradation. The use of microbial proteases in food fermentation is an age-old process, which is today being successfully employed in other industries with the advent of ‘omics’ era and innovations in genetic and protein engineering approaches. Proteases have found application in industries besides food, like leather, textiles, detergent, waste management, agriculture, animal husbandry, cosmetics, and pharmaceutics. With the rising demands and applications, researchers are exploring various approaches to discover, redesign, or artificially synthesize enzymes with better applicability in the industrial processes. These enzymes offer a sustainable and environmentally safer option, besides possessing economic and commercial value. Various bacterial and fungal proteases are already holding a commercially pivotal role in the industry. The current review summarizes the characteristics and types of proteases, microbial source, their current and prospective applications in various industries, and future challenges. Promoting these biocatalysts will prove significant in betterment of the modern world.

Cellulose-deconstruction potential of nano-biocatalytic systems: A strategic drive from designing to sustainable applications of immobilized cellulases

Nanostructured materials along with an added value of polymers-based support carriers have gained high interest and considered ideal for enzyme immobilization. The recently emerged nanoscience interface in the form of nanostructured materials combined with immobilized-enzyme-based bio-catalysis has now become research and development frontiers in advance and applied bio-catalysis engineering. With the involvement of nanoscience, various polymers have been thoroughly developed and exploited to nanostructured engineer constructs as ideal support carriers/matrices. Such nanotechnologically engineered support carriers/matrix possesses unique structural, physicochemical, and functional attributes which equilibrate principal factors and strengthen the biocatalysts efficacy for multipurpose applications. In addition, nano-supported catalysts are potential alternatives that can outstrip several limitations of conventional biocatalysts, such as reduced catalytic efficacy and turnover, low mass transfer efficiency, instability during the reaction, and most importantly, partial, or complete inhibition/deactivation. In this context, engineering robust and highly efficient biocatalysts is an industrially relevant prerequisite. This review comprehensively covered various biopolymers and nanostructured materials, including silica, hybrid nanoflower, nanotubes or nanofibers, nanomembranes, graphene oxide nanoparticles, metal-oxide frameworks, and magnetic nanoparticles as robust matrices for cellulase immobilization. The work is further enriched by spotlighting applied and industrially relevant considerations of nano-immobilized cellulases. For instance, owing to the cellulose-deconstruction features of nano-immobilized cellulases, the applications like lignocellulosic biomass conversion into industrially useful products or biofuels, improved paper sheet density and pulp beat in paper and pulp industry, fruit juice clarification in food industry are evident examples of cellulases, thereof are discussed in this work.

Robust nanocarriers to engineer nanobiocatalysts for bioprocessing applications

The synergistic integration of bio-catalysis engineering with nanostructured materials, as unique multifunctional carrier matrices, has emerged as a new interface of nanobiocatalysis (NBC). NBC is an emerging innovation that offers significant considerations to expand the designing and fabrication of robust catalysts at the nanoscale with improved catalytic characteristics for multipurpose bioprocessing applications. In addition, nanostructured materials with unique structural, physical, chemical, and functional entities have manifested significant contributions in mimicking the enzyme microenvironment. A fine-tuned enzyme microenvironment with an added-value of NBC offers chemo- regio- and stereo- selectivities and specificities. Furthermore, NBC is growing rapidly and will become a powerful norm in bio-catalysis with much controlled features, such as selectivity, specificity, stability, resistivity, induce activity, reaction efficacy, multi-usability, improved mass transfer efficiency, high catalytic turnover, optimal yield, ease in recovery, and cost-effectiveness. Considering the above critics and unique structural, physicochemical, and functional attributes, herein, we present and discuss advances in NBC and its bioprocessing applications in different fields. Briefly, this review is focused on four parts, i.e., (1) NBC as a drive towards applied nanobiocatalysts (as an introduction with opportunities), (2) promising nanocarriers to develop nanobiocatalysts, (3) applications in the fields of biotransformation, biofuel production, carbohydrate hydrolysis, bio-/nanosensing, detergent formulations, and extraction and purification of value-added compounds, and (4) current challenges, concluding remarks, and future trends.

Can Sustainable Packaging Help to Reduce Food Waste? A Status Quo Focusing Plant-Derived Polymers and Additives

The promotion of sustainable packaging is part of the European Green Deal and plays a key role in the EU’s social and political strategy. One option is the use of renewable resources and biomass waste as raw materials for polymer production. Lignocellulose biomass from annual and perennial industrial crops and agricultural residues are a major source of polysaccharides, proteins, and lignin and can also be used to obtain plant-based extracts and essential oils. Therefore, these biomasses are considered as potential substitute for fossil-based resources. Here, the status quo of bio-based polymers is discussed and evaluated in terms of properties related to packaging applications such as gas and water vapor permeability as well as mechanical properties. So far, their practical use is still restricted due to lower performance in fundamental packaging functions that directly influence food quality and safety, the length of shelf life, and thus the amount of food waste. Besides bio-based polymers, this review focuses on plant extracts as active packaging agents. Incorporating extracts of herbs, flowers, trees, and their fruits is inevitable to achieve desired material properties that are capable to prolong the food shelf life. Finally, the adoption potential of packaging based on polymers from renewable resources is discussed from a bioeconomy perspective.

Armoring bio-catalysis via structural and functional coordination between nanostructured materials and lipases for tailored applications

Nanostructured materials represent an interesting and novel class of support matrices for the immobilization of different enzymes. Owing to the high surface area, robust mechanical stability, outstanding optical, thermal, and electrical properties, nanomaterials have been rightly perceived as desired immobilization matrices for lipases immobilization with a wide array of biotechnological applications such as dairy, food technology, fine chemical, pharmaceutical, detergent, and oleochemical industries. Lipases immobilized on nanomaterials have demonstrated superior attributes than free counterparts, such as aggrandized pH and thermal stability, robustness, long-term stability, and the possibility of reuse and recycling in several times. Here we review current and state-of-the-art literature on the use of nanomaterials as novel platforms for the immobilization of lipase enzymes. The physicochemical properties and exploitation of a large number of new nanostructured materials such as carbon nanotubes, nano-silica, graphene/graphene oxide, metal nanoparticles, magnetic nanostructures, metal-organic frameworks, and hybrid nanoflowers as a host matrix to constitute robust lipases-based nanobiocatalytic systems are discussed. Conclusive remarks, trends, and future recommendations for nanomaterial immobilized enzymes are also given.

Covalent organic frameworks as emerging host platforms for enzyme immobilization and robust biocatalysis - A review

In recent years, the synthesis and application of green and sustainable products have become global ecological and societal issues. Based on the principles of green chemistry, the application of different biocatalysts not only produce target products and decreases side effects but also enhances the selectivity and activity. Enzyme-based biocatalysts are very interesting due to their high catalytic performance, eco-friendly reaction systems, and selectivity. Immobilization is demonstrated as a favorable approach to improve the stability and recyclability of enzymes. Among different supports, porous and crystalline materials, covalent organic frameworks (COFs), represent an interesting class of support matrices for the immobilization of different enzymes. Owing to tunable physicochemical characteristics, a high degree of crystallinity, large specific surface area, superior adsorption capacity, pre-designable structure and marked stability, COFs might consider as perfect host materials for improving the desirable properties of enzymes, such as poor stability, low operational range, lack of repeatability, and products/by-products inhibition for large-scale applications. The enzyme-incorporated COFs have emerged as one of the hopeful ways to constitute tailor-made biocatalytic systems, which can be employed in an array of reactions. Highly porous nature of many COFs led to increased process output in contrast to other micro/nanoparticles. The enzymes can be integrated into COFs through different techniques, including physical adsorption and direct covalent attachment between the enzyme molecules and COFs or through a cross-linking agent. Herein, we discuss and highlight the synthesis methods, properties, and functionalization of COFs and the recent literature for the application of these materials in enzymes immobilization. Main approaches for immobilization of enzymes into COFs and the catalytic applications of these materials are also presented. This study offers new avenues to address the limitations of traditional enzyme immobilization supports as well as delivers new possibilities to construct smart biocatalytic systems for diverse biotechnological applications.

Bio-based active food packaging materials: Sustainable alternative to conventional petrochemical-based packaging materials

In food industry, a growing concern is the use of suitable packaging material (i.e., biodegradable coatings and films) with enhanced thermal, mechanical and barrier characteristics to prevent from contamination and loss of foodstuff. Biobased polymer resources can be used for the development of biodegradable bioplastics. To achieve this goal, biopolymers should be economic, renewable and abundantly available. Bioplastic packaging materials based on renewable biomass could be used as sustainable alternative to petrochemically-originated plastic materials. This review summarizes the recent advancements in biopolymer-based coatings and films for active food packaging applications. Microbial polymers (PHA and PLA), wood-based polymers (cellulose, hemicellulose, starch & lignin), and protein-based polymers (gelatin, keratin, wheat gluten, soy protein and whey protein isolates) were among the materials most widely exploited for the development of smart packaging films. These biopolymers are able to synthesize coatings and films with good barrier properties against food borne pathogens and the transport of gases. Biobased reinforcements e.g., plant essential oils and natural additives to bioplastic films improve oxygen barrier, antibacterial and antifungal properties. To induce the desired functionality the simultaneous utilization of different synthetic and biobased polymers in the form of composites/blends is also an emerging area of research. Nanoscale reinforcements into bioplastic packaging have also been reported to improve packaging characteristics ultimately increasing food shelf life. The development of bioplastic/biocomposite and nanobiocomposites exhibits high potential to replace nonbiodegradable materials with characteristics comparable to fossil-based plastics, additionally, giving biodegradable and compostable characteristics. The idea of utilization of renewable biomass and the implications of biotechnology can firstly reduce the burden from fossil-resources, while secondly promoting biobased economy.