Glucose Oxidase, an Enzyme “Ferrari”: Its Structure, Function, Production and Properties in the Light of Various Industrial and Biotechnological Applications

Glucose oxidase (GOx) is an important oxidoreductase enzyme with many important roles in biological processes. It is considered an “ideal enzyme” and is often called an oxidase “Ferrari” because of its fast mechanism of action, high stability and specificity. Glucose oxidase catalyzes the oxidation of β-d-glucose to d-glucono-δ-lactone and hydrogen peroxide in the presence of molecular oxygen. d-glucono-δ-lactone is sequentially hydrolyzed by lactonase to d-gluconic acid, and the resulting hydrogen peroxide is hydrolyzed by catalase to oxygen and water. GOx is presently known to be produced only by fungi and insects. The current main industrial producers of glucose oxidase are Aspergillus and Penicillium. An important property of GOx is its antimicrobial effect against various pathogens and its use in many industrial and medical areas. The aim of this review is to summarize the structure, function, production strains and biophysical and biochemical properties of GOx in light of its various industrial, biotechnological and medical applications.

Enzymatic synthesis, characterization and properties of the protein-polysaccharide conjugate: A review

Poor solubility of proteins negatively affects their functional properties and greatly limits their application. Enzymatic cross-linking with polysaccharides can improve solubility and functional properties of proteins. The enzymes used include transglutaminase, laccase and peroxidase. Therefore, this work introduces the cross-linking mechanisms of these enzymes and the characterization techniques, the improved properties and the potential applications of the enzymatically-synthesized protein-polysaccharide conjugate. Transglutaminase catalyzes the formation of a new peptide bond and thus works on amino-containing polysaccharides to conjugate with proteins. However, laccase and peroxidase catalyze oxidation of various compounds with phenol and aniline structures. Therefore, these two enzymes can catalyze the conjugate reaction between proteins and feruloylated polysaccharides which are widely distributed in cereal bran. Compared with the unmodified protein, the enzymatically-synthesized protein-polysaccharide conjugate usually has higher solubility and better functional properties. Thus, it is inferred that enzymatic conjugation with polysaccharide molecules can extend the application of proteins.

Transglutaminase crosslinking promotes physical and oxidative stability of filled hydrogel particles based on biopolymer phase separation

In the present study, the effect of transglutaminase (TGase) concentration on the physical and oxidative stabilities of filled hydrogel particles created by biopolymer phase separation was investigated. The results showed that filled hydrogels had relatively smaller particle sizes, higher absolute zeta-potentials, higher interfacial layer thicknesses and lightness values with the increasing of TGase concentration (P < 0.05), as evidenced by the apparent viscosity and viscoelasticity behavior. However, the relatively higher TGase concentration promoted the protein aggregation, which weakens the protection of the surface protein layer, having the negatively impacted the physical stability of filled hydrogels. Microstructural images which obtained via cryo-scanning electron microscopy also verified the above results. In particular, it is noted that filled hydrogels displayed the lowest degrees of lipid and protein oxidation during 10 days of storage (P < 0.05) at TGase concentration of 10 U/g. Prevention against oxidation was attributed mainly to TGase crosslinking of protein molecules on the surface of droplets, which likely provided a denser interface around lipid droplets. Our results indicated that TGase was a favourable agent to crosslink protein on the surface of lipid and improve the physical and oxidative stability of filled hydrogel particles.

Enzymatic cross-linking of pectin in a high-pressure foaming process

This study demonstrates that integrating enzymatic cross-linking in a high-pressure foaming process is a viable option to increase foam stability when well aligning the relevant process parameters and process kinetics.

Use of molecular interactions and mesoscopic scale transitions to modulate protein-polysaccharide structures

Mixed protein-polysaccharide structures have found widespread applications in various fields, such as in foods, pharmaceuticals or personal care products. A better understanding and a more precise control over the molecular interactions between the two types of macromolecules leading to an engineering of nanoscale and colloidal building blocks have fueled the design of novel structures with improved functional properties. However, these building blocks often do not constitute the final matrix. Rather, further process operations are used to transform the initially formed structural entities into bulk matrices. Systematic knowledge on the relation between molecular structure design and subsequent mesoscopic scale transitions induced by processing is scarce. This article aims at establishing a connection between these two approaches. Therefore, it reviews not only studies on the underlying molecular interaction phenomena leading to either a segregative or associative phase behavior and nanoscale or colloidal structures, but also looks at the less systematically studied approach of using macroscopic processing operations such as shearing, heating, crosslinking, and concentrating/drying to transform the initially generated structures into bulk matrices. Thereby, a more comprehensive look is taken at the relationship between different influencing factors, namely solvent conditions (i.e. pH, ionic strength), biopolymer characteristics (i.e. type, charge density, mixing ratio, biopolymer concentration), and processing parameters (i.e. temperature, mechanical stresses, pressure) to generate bulk protein-polysaccharide matrices with different morphological features. The need for a combinatorial approach is then demonstrated by reviewing in detail current mixed protein-polysaccharide applications that increasingly make use of this. In the process, open scientific questions that will need to be addressed in the future are highlighted.

Physico-Chemical Properties of Sugar Beet Pectin-Sodium Caseinate Conjugates via Different Interaction Mechanisms

Polysaccharides and proteins are frequently conjugated through electrostatic attraction, enzymatic cross-linking, and heat treatment (Maillard reaction) to obtain food structuring ingredients, mostly for their application as emulsifiers. The conjugate partners and their interaction type affect performance at acidic or neutral pH and during thermal processing, thus requiring careful selection. Here, the aggregate properties (particle size, conjugate charge, shear viscosity) of three types of sugar beet pectin (SBP)-sodium caseinate (SC) 1:1 conjugates, at acidic and neutral pH (4.5; 7), as well as their thermal processing stability (80 °C), were investigated. The enzymatically cross-linked SBP:SC was more acid tolerant than the electrostatically interacting conjugates. Maillard cross-linked conjugates aggregated at pH 4.5, suggesting poor emulsifier performance in acidic conditions. At pH 7, the three conjugate types showed similar aggregate properties. The results are discussed in terms of structural re-arrangement.

Promising perspectives for ruminal protection of polyunsaturated fatty acids through polyphenol-oxidase-mediated crosslinking of interfacial protein in emulsions

Previously, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) from linseed oil were effectively protected (>80%) against biohydrogenation through polyphenol-oxidase-mediated protein crosslinking of an emulsion, prepared with polyphenol oxidase (PPO) extract from potato tuber peelings. However, until now, emulsions of only 2 wt% oil have been successfully protected, which implies serious limitations both from a research perspective (e.g. in vivo trials) as well as for further upscaling toward practical applications. Therefore, the aim of this study was to increase the oil/PPO ratio. In the original protocol, the PPO extract served both an emulsifying function as well as a crosslinking function. Here, it was first evaluated whether alternative protein sources could replace the emulsifying function of the PPO extract, with addition of PPO extract and 4-methylcatechol (4MC) to induce crosslinking after emulsion preparation. This approach was then further used to evaluate protection of emulsions with higher oil content. Five candidate emulsifiers (soy glycinin, gelatin, whey protein isolate (WPI), bovine serum albumin and sodium caseinate) were used to prepare 10 wt% oil emulsions, which were diluted five times (w/w) with PPO extract (experiment 1). As a positive control, 2 wt% oil emulsions were prepared directly with PPO extract according to the original protocol. Further, emulsions of 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 wt% oil were prepared, with 80 wt% PPO extract (experiment 2), or with 90, 80, 70, 60 and 50 wt% PPO extract, respectively (experiment 3) starting from WPI-stabilized emulsions. Enzymatic crosslinking was induced by 24-h incubation with 4MC. Ruminal protection efficiency was evaluated by 24-h in vitro batch simulation of the rumen metabolism. In experiment 1, protection efficiencies were equal or higher than the control (85.5% to 92.5% v. 81.3%). In both experiments 2 and 3, high protection efficiencies (>80%) were achieved, except for emulsions containing 10 wt% oil emulsions (<50% protection), which showed oiling-off after enzymatic crosslinking. This study demonstrated that alternative emulsifier proteins can be used in combination with PPO extract to protect emulsified PUFA-rich oils against ruminal biohydrogenation. By applying the new protocol, 6.5 times less PPO extract was required.

The effect of operational parameters on the biodegradation of bisphenols by Trametes versicolor laccase immobilized on Hippospongia communis spongin scaffolds

Due to the rapid growth in quantities of phenolic compounds in wastewater, the development of efficient and environmentally friendly methods for their removal becomes a necessity. Thus, in a presented work, for the first time, a novel material, Hippospongia communis spongin-based scaffold, was used as a biopolymeric support for the immobilization of laccase from Trametes versicolor. The resulting biocatalytic systems were used for the biodegradation of three bisphenols: bisphenol A (BPA), bisphenol F (BPF) and bioremoval-resistant bisphenol S (BPS). Optimization of the immobilization and biodegradation methodologies was performed to increase bisphenols removal. The effect of temperature, pH and initial pollutant concentration was evaluated. It was shown that under optimal conditions, almost 100% of BPA (pH5, 30°C) and BPF (pH5, 40°C), and over 40% of BPS (pH4, 30°C) was removed from the solution at a concentration of 2mg/mL. Furthermore, the immobilized laccase exhibited good reusability and storage stability, retaining over 80% of its initial activity after 50days of storage. In addition, the main biodegradation products of BPA and BPF were identified. It was shown that mainly dimers and trimers were formed following the oxidation of bisphenols by the immobilized laccase.

Impact of food structure on the compatibility of heated WPI–pectin-complexes in meat dispersions

Process-stable complexes composed of whey protein isolate (WPI) and sugar beet pectin have great potential as structuring agents or fat replacers in meat dispersions.

Inhibition of advanced glycation endproducts during fish sausage preparation by transglutaminase and chitosan oligosaccharides induced enzymatic glycosylation

A non-antioxidative method in which glycosylation induced by transglutaminase “replaced” glycation to inhibit the formation of AGEs in real foods.

Impact of laccase on the colour stability of structured oil-in-water emulsions

The optical properties of food emulsions play a key role in determining their perceived quality because they are the first sensory cue that many consumers receive. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the impact of a cross-linking enzyme (laccase) on the appearance of structured oil-in-water emulsions containing a lipophilic model colorant (Nile red). A layer-by-layer electrostatic deposition approach was used to prepare oil-in-water emulsions stabilized by interfacial protein-pectin complexes under acidic conditions (pH3.5, 10mM citrate buffer). Laccase (an oxidoreductase) was then added to the system, since this enzyme is often used to covalently cross-link interfacial biopolymer layers. The optical properties of the emulsions were monitored during storage using spectral reflectance to determine the L*a*b values, while the physical properties were monitored by measuring changes in droplet surface charge and particle size distribution. No changes in the size or charge of the droplets were observed during storage, indicating that the emulsions had good physical stability. In the absence of laccase, the emulsions were stable to colour fading, but in the presence of laccase rapid colour changes occurred (red to blue to white). These results have important implications for the formation of structured food emulsions containing certain types of food dyes.

Designing biopolymer microgels to encapsulate, protect and deliver bioactive components: Physicochemical aspects

Biopolymer microgels have considerable potential for their ability to encapsulate, protect, and release bioactive components. Biopolymer microgels are small particles (typically 100nm to 1000μm) whose interior consists of a three-dimensional network of cross-linked biopolymer molecules that traps a considerable amount of solvent. This type of particle is also sometimes referred to as a nanogel, hydrogel bead, biopolymer particles, or microsphere. Biopolymer microgels are typically prepared using a two-step process involving particle formation and particle gelation. This article reviews the major constituents and fabrication methods that can be used to prepare microgels, highlighting their advantages and disadvantages. It then provides an overview of the most important characteristics of microgel particles (such as size, shape, structure, composition, and electrical properties), and describes how these parameters can be manipulated to control the physicochemical properties and functional attributes of microgel suspensions (such as appearance, stability, rheology, and release profiles). Finally, recent examples of the utilization of biopolymer microgels to encapsulate, protect, or release bioactive agents, such as pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, enzymes, flavors, and probiotics is given.

Enzyme-Based Strategies for Structuring Foods for Improved Functionality

Enzyme technologies can be used to create food dispersions with novel functional attributes using structural design principles. Enzymes that utilize food-grade proteins and/or polysaccharides as substrates have gained recent interest among food scientists. The utilization of enzymes for structuring foods is an ecologically and economically viable alternative to the utilization of chemical cross-linking and depolymerization agents. This review highlights recent progress in the use of enzymes to modify food structures, particularly the interfacial and/or bulk properties of food dispersions with special emphasis on commercially available enzymes. Cross-linking enzymes such as transglutaminase and laccase promote the formation of intra- and intermolecular bonds between biopolymers to improve stability and functionality, whereas various degrading enzymes such as proteases alter the native conformation of proteins, leading to self-assembly of hierarchically ordered colloids. Results of this bio-inspired approach show that rational use of structure-affecting enzymes may enable food manufacturers to produce food dispersions with improved physical, functional, textural, and optical properties.

Mixing behaviour of WPI–pectin-complexes in meat dispersions: impact of biopolymer ratios

Particulated complexes composed of oppositely charged biopolymers were incorporated into highly concentrated protein matrices as potential fat replacers and structuring agents.

Structural design approaches for creating fat droplet and starch granule mimetics

This article focuses on hydrogel-based strategies for creating reduced calorie foods with desirable physicochemical, sensory, and nutritional properties.

Polyphenol Oxidase Containing Sidestreams as Emulsifiers of Rumen Bypass Linseed Oil Emulsions: Interfacial Characterization and Efficacy of Protection against in Vitro Ruminal Biohydrogenation

The low transfer in ruminants of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids to the milk or peripheral tissues is largely due to ruminal biohydrogenation. Lipids emulsified by a polyphenol oxidase (PPO) rich protein extract of red clover were shown before to be protected against this breakdown after cross-linking with 4-methylcatechol. Protein extracts of 13 other vegetal resources were tested. Surprisingly, the effectiveness to protect emulsified lipids against in vitro ruminal biohydrogenation largely depended on the origin of the extract and its protein concentration but was not related to PPO activity. Moreover, PPO isoforms in vegetal sources, effectively protecting emulsified lipids, were diverse and their presence at the emulsion interface did not seem essential. Potato tuber peels were identified as an interesting biological source of emulsifying proteins and PPO, particularly since protein extracts of industrial potato sidestreams proved to be suitable for the current application.

Enzymatic multi-functionalization of microparticles under aqueous neutral conditions

Enzymatic multi-functionalization of microparticles under aqueous neutral conditions using tyrosinase.