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Mohammed Kuddus Editor
Enzymes
in Food
Technology
Improvements and Innovations
Enzymes in Food Technology
Mohammed Kuddus
Editor
Enzymes in Food
Technology
Improvements and Innovations
Editor
Mohammed Kuddus
Department of Biochemistry
University of Hail
Hail, Saudi Arabia
This Springer imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
The registered company address is: 152 Beach Road, #21-01/04 Gateway East, Singapore 189721,
Singapore
Dedicated to my beloved parent. . .
Preface
Today, the food crisis is a major problem in the world. The integration of enzymes in
food processing is well known, and devoted research is still going on consistently to
fulfill food crisis worldwide. Food technology could provide an efficient solution for
global food security. Scientists have already identified potential use of enzymes in
food industry, from bioconversion to genetic engineering. However, the lack of
knowledge of scientific progress and recent tools in enzyme technology contributes
considerably slow progress of foods production. In this perception, the objective of
this book is to offer an updated review regarding potential impact of enzymes in food
technology. Along with microbial enzymes, plant and animal enzymes will also be
included for their applications in food sector, process of immobilization, thermal and
operational stability, increased product specificity and specific activity, enzyme
engineering, implementation of high-throughput techniques, screening of relatively
unexplored environments, and also development of more efficient enzymes. This
book will be a comprehensive reference in the most progressive field of food
technology and will be of interest to professionals, scientists, and academics in the
food and biotech industries.
This book covers 20 chapters including scientific progress and recent
technologies in food production and processing. The chapters highlight potential
applications of various enzymes in food industries such as fruit juice, beverage,
dairy, meat, animal feed and in pharmaceutical industry. Other chapters explain how
and what types of organisms/enzymes, including food enzymes from extreme
environments, are involved in the respective process. Some chapters also discuss
role of enzymes in bioprocessing, enzyme engineering, and enzyme immobilization,
along with future prospective of enzyme technologies in the food industry. These
chapters also present future perspective for the development of specific and more
active enzymes for food production and processing. In summary, it may be
concluded that this book is an updated reference in the most progressive field of
food technology and will be useful for professionals, scientists, and academics in the
food and biotech industries. Last but not least, I express my deepest sense of
gratitude and regards to my family for their love and moral support which helped
vii
viii Preface
me to complete this book. I would also like to thank my friends and all the authors
who have eagerly contributed their chapters to this book. Finally, I also express my
sincere gratitude to Ms. Saanthi Shankhararaman, Project Coordinator, for her
efforts and to Springer Publishing for providing this opportunity.
ix
x Contents
xi
Microbial Enzymes in Food Technology
1
Sushma Ahlawat, Manoj Kumawat, and Piyoosh Kumar Babele
Abstract
The application of microbial enzymes in food industries has attracted worldwide
attention in the past and present era. Food processing industries utilized nearly
about 29% of total produced enzymatic protein, and out of this 58% are obtained
from fungi. Presently microbial enzymes are used in food, pharmaceutical,
textile, paper, leather and other industrial process as a green alternative to
traditional chemical methods. In this chapter, the source of different microbial
enzymes and their applications in food sector will be highlighted. The chapter
will also include various biotechnological tools used for the explorations of
microbial enzymes in food processing.
Keywords
Microbial enzymes · Food technology · Food processing · Enzyme engineering
S. Ahlawat (*)
Department of Biochemistry and Biochemical Engineering, Jacob Institute of Biotechnology and
Bioengineering, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences,
Allahabad, India
M. Kumawat
Department of Biochemistry and Biochemical Engineering, Jacob Institute of Biotechnology and
Bioengineering, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences,
Allahabad, India
Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhopal,
India
P. K. Babele
Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhopal,
India
1.1 Introduction
Microbes are ubiquitous in nature, and they can survive in diverse and extreme
environments. They are an integral part of the ecosystems all around us and represent
approximately 60% of the total biomass on the Earth. Green and Keller (2006)
estimated that at global level the soil and oceans contain 4-5 1030 and 3.6 1029
microbes, respectively. Microorganisms play a significant role in the sustainable
development of life on the planet Earth. According to the World Data Centre for
Microorganisms (WDCM), a total of 17,56,173 microbes are identified, out of which
5,57,663 are bacteria and 4,56,053 fungi among others. However, more than 99%
microbes could not be cultured and grown under existing laboratory conditions,
making them potentially untapped. The unexploited diversity and known
microorganisms can serve as a novel source of enzymes, genes, antibiotics,
polymers, etc. and thus are important for food technology. Enzymes are crucial for
sustainable growth and development of any form of life on the planet. They act as
biocatalysts in a variety of metabolic and biochemical reactions. In this regard,
enzymes derived from the microbes are of immense significance in the
advancements of industrial bioprocesses. Enzymes have been used as food
preservatives for long years, and nowadays they are enabling a variety of food
industries to give the quality and stability of their products, along with better
production efficiency. Enzymes of microbial origin with applications in food
processing have not only diversified the food industry but also created financial
assets. The rising demand for sustainable food has given an escalating force to
exploit the microbial enzymes, knowingly or unknowingly since past many years.
Microorganisms have always been the greatest and significant sources of several
enzymes (Demain and Adrio 2008). They also offer environmental-friendly con-
sumer products, reducing energy, water and raw material consumption and
generating a smaller amount of residual waste. Microbial enzymes got more atten-
tion due to their active and stable nature as compared to the enzymes of plant and
animal source.
The demand for foods and new medicines is currently increasing that drives explo-
ration of new biocatalysts for maintaining a sustainable production. Recently, public
support is gaining trust, and policymakers along with industrialists believe that white
biotechnology will have a real impact on industries worldwide (Singh 2010; Ferrer-
Miralles et al. 2009). Superficially, there are three major challenges that need to be
concentrated to improve the enzymes used in biotechnology. Firstly, there is huge
quantity requirement of new enzymes for both white and red biotechnological areas.
Currently, there is designed industrial process leading to expensive systems for more
productivity and suboptimal productivities (Singh 2010; Lorenz and Eck 2005). It is
expected that the isolation of more efficient enzymes from environmental
1 Microbial Enzymes in Food Technology 3
microbes will improve productivity and, thus, reduce the cost. Secondly, the availabil-
ity of existing enzymes is also not consistent and expensive along with low stability in
fermenters (Singh 2010). Enzyme engineering may be an alternative technology to
overcome these limitations. Lastly, lack of proper mechanism to protect enzymes
against protease attack, occurring in almost all biological systems, is another major
hurdle to achieve optimal activity (Singh 2010). Potential applications of enzymes in
the food industry include assisted extraction processes for nutritional compounds and
increase the concentration/production, stability, efficient recovery, etc. These are used
to produce and to increase the quality and/or the diversity of food. The current usage of
microbial enzymes and their applications in various food industries (45% microbial
enzymes) has been discussed in this chapter (Table 1.1).
Foods are a good source of nutrient that controls appetite and modulates physiology.
However, these different functions of foods can be modified by food processing and
adopted cooking methods. Additionally, food also contains several other health-
promoting nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and other nutraceuticals. Therefore,
for the better and long-term health status, food must be judged by its constituents and
components (Wiseman and Woods 1979). By 2050, the human population will be
increased about 9.2 billion and would require more food production. To tackle this
requirement, microbial enzymes have shown potential since ancient human civiliza-
tion. Before 6000 BC, Babylonians and Sumerians utilized yeast to produce alco-
holic beverages from barley. Early food processes involved the proteolytic activity
of endogenous or microbial enzymes. Cheese, yoghurt, bread, syrup, etc. are good
examples of the formation of the product by use of an enzyme (Shinde et al. 2015).
The future food bioprocessing strategies will be progressively modified to focus
towards the production of healthy foods involving enzymes to make newly
processed and functional foods (Wiseman 1995; Tucker and Woods 1995). Enzymes
from microbial origin have been in use since a long time. It was estimated that more
than 500 marketable products are being made using these microbial enzymes whose
global market value was estimated to be US$ 2.3 billion a decade ago (Damian and
Adria 2008) and must have increased many folds in recent time. Also, microbial
enzymes in addition to food industries have huge application in various industries
such as leather, detergents, textiles, paper and pulp. Microbial enzyme-mediated
processes have many characteristic features, such as less process time, less energy
input, innoxious and green and cost-effective. Because of these features, enzymatic
processes are rapidly gaining interest in the food industry. Furthermore, the other
advantages of microbial enzymes in food processing include easier food processes,
efficient basic material utilization and steady product quality and improved
sustainability. Recently, sustainability and health trends are becoming principal
reasons for enzyme advancement (Table 1.2).
Microbes have numerous metabolic activities and produce a range of enzymes
that could have formed the basis for industrial applications. Therefore, the enzymes
4 S. Ahlawat et al.
derived from microbes are vital to the food industry. The unexploited diversity of
microorganisms can serve as a resource for new enzymes and of added value to
commercial food technology. Enzymes from microbes are considered to provide a
way out of confined technologies and practices characterized by strong divergence
and market segmentation. The enzyme from microbes, physically restricted or
limited in a particular region or space with their catalytic activities, can be used
continuously and repeatedly (Choi et al. 2015). To improve these unique enzymes
from microbes, nanotechnology is the latest tool to furnish a way towards sustainable
technology for processing, preservation and value addition in the food industry. This
can be achieved by diversification of technologies and systems and networks across
all sectors of the agri-food industry. The applications of microbial enzymes in the
food industry are divided into many sectors including baking, dairy, juice production
and brewing. Augmented applications of various microbial enzymes in the
processing of cheese are principally responsible for the use of enzymes in the
dairy industry, which is the second largest application of these enzymes after the
beverage industry. The application of enzymes varies from coagulant to
bio-protective enzyme to increase the shelf life and safety of dairy products (Qureshi
et al. 2015). Among these enzymes, rennet is used for coagulation of milk into solid
curds, for cheese making and for liquid whey. At present, about 33% of the global
demand for cheese is fulfilled by microbial rennet. Other proteases expose
applications for accelerated cheese processing and in the reduction of allergenic
properties of milk products (Qureshi et al. 2015). Lactose, lipids and proteins are the
main constituents of the milk. The utilization of these components in the dairy
industry is catalysed by β-galactosidases, lipases and peptidases, respectively. The
use of these enzymes particularly in the conversion of lactose and protein hydrolysis
has gained immense potential in dairy technology. The following section
summarizes the important microbial enzymes as well as most common
microorganisms used in the food industry. The advantages of microbial enzymes
over animal and plant sources are discussed. The important enzymes used in the food
industry such as amylases, lipases, cellulases, peptidases, pectinases, lactases, glu-
cose oxidase, glucose isomerase, invertases and transglutaminases are described for
their properties and applications in animal feed and human nutrition.
1 Microbial Enzymes in Food Technology 7
1.3.1 Amylases
Alpha-amylases (EC 3.2.1.1) are enzymes that catalyse the degradation of α-1,4-
glucosidic linkage of starch and related compounds to produce simple
oligosaccharides. The wide range of pH (pH 2–12) and their stability at high
temperature make them an important starch-degrading enzyme used in the food
industry. Microbes are rich sources of amylases utilized in the distilled alcoholic
beverages to degrade starch into sugars before fermentation and also either to
minimize or remove turbidity developed due to starch. Some microbial species can
produce α-amylase but mainly derived from the genus Bacillus (e.g. Bacillus
licheniformis, Bacillus stearothermophilus and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens) and
used for the industrial applications. Amylases are extensively used in baking,
brewing, cake-making, fruit juice and starch syrup-making industries and prepara-
tion of digestive aids. They can be supplemented into bread dough to convert the
complex flour starch into simpler dextrins, followed by fermentation using baker’s
yeast. The mixing of α-amylase to the dough results in accelerating the rate of
fermentation and the reduction of the viscosity of dough, resulting in improvements
in the volume and texture of the product. Moreover, it generates additional sugar in
the dough to improve the taste, crust colour and toasting qualities of the bread. These
α-amylases, apart from fermentable compound generation, are also used for anti-
staling in bread industries to improve the softness retention and shelf life of baked
food products. At present, commercial bakers are using a thermostable maltogenic
amylase from Bacillus stearothermophilus. Amylases are also used to clear the
turbidity and complexity of beer or fruit juices (Okafor et al. 2007). In brewing
industry, application of the amylases is to catalyse the hydrolysis of unmalted barley
and other starchy adjuncts to facilitate the cost reduction of beer brewing (Okafor
et al. 2007). In the food industry, amylases have extensive applications including
production of glucose and maltose syrup, clarification of fruit juice for longer shelf
life and saccharification of starch (Christopher and Kumbalwar 2015). Along with
cellulases, β-glucanases and proteases, α-amylases and maltogenic amylases are the
major enzymes used for liquefaction and clarification and to supplement malt
enzymes. The use of biological agents in food processing date back to 6000 BC,
1 Microbial Enzymes in Food Technology 9
while the first known purposeful microbial oxidation dates from 2000 BC with the
production of vinegar (Christopher and Kumbalwar 2015; Vasic-Racki 2006).
1.3.2 Proteases
Proteases are a class of hydrolases that hydrolyse the large proteins into smaller
peptides by the cleaving peptide bonds. They are commonly present in a wide
diversity including animals and plants, but microbes are considered as preferred
sources for the production of proteases owing to its technical and economic
advantages. The usage of proteases in the white industry is well acknowledged;
they serve as a coagulant to the bio-protective enzyme and enhance the shelf life and
safety of dairy products. These enzymes are classified as exo- or endopeptidases
depending on location of peptide bond to be cleaved in the polypeptide chain.
Proteases represent 60% of total industrial enzymes in the market, whereas microbial
proteases, particularly derived from fungal sources, are valuable due to its easy
recovery (Sumantha et al. 2006). Some of the most common protease-producing
microorganisms are Aspergillus niger, A. oryzae, B. amyloliquefaciens,
B. stearothermophilus, Mucor miehei, M. pusillus, etc. Applications of proteases
are ranging from baking industry, to brewing, making of various kinds of oriental
foods like soy sauce, meat tenderization and cheese manufacturing.
1.3.3 Pectinases
Pectinase, an enzyme found in plant cell wall, converts pectin into pectic acid by
catalysing the de-esterification of the methoxyl group of pectin. They are a class of
hydrolases such as polygalacturonases and polymethyl galacturonases that catalyse
the cleavage of α-1,4-glycosidic linkage in pectic acid and pectin, respectively. De
Gregorio et al. (2002) showed that many microbial species like Bacillus, Erwinia,
Kluyveromyces, Aspergillus, Rhizopus, Trichoderma, Pseudomonas, Penicillium
and Fusarium are high-quality sources of pectinases. Among the pectinase-
producing fungi, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus carbonarius and Lentinus edodes
are most preferred fungi in industries as they secrete approximately 90% of enzymes
(Blandino et al. 2001). Pectinases are now an integral part of fruit juice industries and
various other biotechnological applications. Today’s pectinase enzymes are one of
the most important enzymes in fruit juice industry which helps to obtain well-
clarified and more stable juices with higher yields of production. These are also
used for protein enrichment of baby food, oil extraction, canning of orange and sugar
extraction process from the date fruits. Besides, pectin enzymes are frequently used
in other important processes such as in the preparation of hydrolysed products of
pectin in the refinement of vegetable fibres during starch manufacture and in the
curing of coffee (de Lima et al. 2010). Pectinases are also used in fruit ripening,
10 S. Ahlawat et al.
viscosity reduction of fruit juices, preliminary handling of grape juice for wine
industries and extraction of tomato pulp (Adams et al. 2005; Silva et al. 2005;
Silva et al. 2007).
1.3.4 Laccases
Laccases (EC 1.10.3.2) are the most important group of multi-copper oxidases.
Fungal laccases are secreted as glycosylated enzymes that catalyse the oxidation
of range of compounds coupled to the four-electron reduction of molecular oxygen
to water. They are universally present as they have been isolated from bacteria,
fungi, plants and insects. For the commercial applications, laccases are isolated from
bacteria (E. coli), filamentous fungi (Aspergillus sp.) and several other basidiomy-
cete species including Agaricus bisporus, Cerrena unicolor and Trametes
versicolor. Furthermore, the laccase from the ascomycete Myceliophthora
thermophila has been tailored for different purposes. The successful commercial
products based on laccases include application in colour enhancement in tea, cork
treatment, pulp bleaching or denim bleaching and finishing. Laccases display other
peculiarities which are basis of several food industry applications like modifying a
range of xenobiotics (e.g. coloured industrial effluents) (Imran et al. 2012). The use
of this enzyme leads to enhancement of drink quality and for the stabilization of
products containing plant oils. In food industry, laccase is also used for wine
stabilization and is able to bring discolouration, lower haziness and change the
flavour. Laccases fasten bread making and/or act as dough-enhancement additives
to the bread dough, resulting in enhanced freshness of the bread quality, flavour, etc.
(Christopher and Kumbalwar 2015; Rosana et al. 2002).
1.3.5 Xylanase
Xylanases are hydrolytic enzymes which catalyse the hydrolysis of β-1,4 backbone
of the complex plant cell wall polysaccharide xylan. Many microorganisms such as
bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes can readily hydrolyse xylans by the activity of
1,4-β-D endoxylanase (EC 3.2.18) and β-xylosidase (EC 3.2.1.37) enzymes
(Christopher and Kumbalwar 2015). Xylanases are used in food industry particularly
in bread making, together with α-amylase, glucose oxidase, protease, etc. The
xylanases, like the other hemicellulases, break the hemicellulose of wheat flour
and dough softer and easier. Xylanases also make cream crackers lighter during
biscuit manufacturing by improving its texture, palatability and uniformity of the
wafers (Christopher and Kumbalwar 2015; Polizeli et al. 2005). Xylanases, together
with cellulases, amylases and pectinases, lead to an improved juice quality by
liquefaction of fruit and vegetables and improved recovery of various biomolecules
such as essential oils, vitamins, minerals, salts, pigments, etc. Xylanase with
1 Microbial Enzymes in Food Technology 11
endoglucanase helps to isolate gluten from the starch in the wheat flour (Christopher
and Kumbalwar 2015). The high stability and optimum activity at an acidic pH are
the properties of xylanases, making them special.
1.3.6 Lipases
Lipases (E.C. 3.1.1.3) are a class of hydrolytic enzymes and subclass of esterases.
The substrates for lipases include natural oils, synthetic triglycerides and esters of
fatty acids. They can resist many chemical solvents and, therefore, be exploited in a
wide range of biotechnological applications. They catalyse transesterification,
hydrolysis and esterification and have significant application in various industries
including food, fats and oil, dairy, pharmaceuticals and baking industries. Lipases
have typical role in the catalysis of fats into fatty acids and glycerol. Microbial
lipases are synthesized by fungal, yeast and bacterial species. The microorganisms
Penicillium restrictum, Candida rugosa, Candida antarctica, Pseudomonas
alcaligenes, Pseudomonas mendocina and Burkholderia cepacia account for most
of the industrial microbial lipase producer among others (Jaeger and Reetz 1998).
The fungi including Rhizopus, Geotrichum, Rhizomucor, Aspergillus, Candida and
Penicillium have been reported as lipase producers and in making several commer-
cial food products. The demand for industrial novel lipase, exploring sources with
different enzymatic properties and at less cost production, has stirred the isolation
and is subsequent to primary selection.
1.3.7 Lactases
1.3.8 Cellulases
Glucose oxidase (E.C. 1.1.3.4) catalyses oxidation of β-D-glucose with the formation
of D-gluconolactone. This enzyme contains flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) as a
prosthetic group required for oxidation-reduction reactions. The fungal species
Aspergillus versicolor and Rhizopus stolonifer are important producers of glucose
oxidase. This enzyme may serve as a biotechnological tool to increase stability of
probiotic bacteria in yoghurt without any chemical additives. The enzyme glucose
isomerase (EC 5.3.1.5) reversibly isomerizes D-glucose and D-xylose into D-fructose
and D-xylulose, respectively. This enzyme is especially used in food industry for the
production of fructose-rich corn syrup. The enzyme glucose isomerase can be
isolated from Arthrobacter (Smith et al. 1991), and gene xylA of Thermus
thermophilus was cloned and introduced in Saccharomyces cerevisiae for expres-
sion (Walfridsson et al. 1996). Nowadays, exploration of thermostable glucose
isomerase is the target of protein engineering (Hartley et al. 2000).
1.3.10 Invertase
production of inverted sugar, chocolate making, digestive aid tablets, infant food
formulas, assimilation of fortified wines and ethanol production from sugarcane
molasses. However, this enzyme has restricted use due to glucose isomerase which
can convert glucose to fructose inexpensively (Uma et al. 2010b). Because of its
sweetening effects which are higher than sucrose, it has high industrial importance
for its use in biotechnology. It was observed that it is more active at temperatures and
pH range between 40 and 60 C and 3.0 and 5.0, respectively. Invertases are used in
banana juice to assess its sweetness potential where it increases the juice viscosity
along with an improved sweetness.
1.3.11 Transglutaminase
The progress in metagenomics and nanotechnology in the past few years has
provided exciting new products for white and red biotechnology. Microbe-derived
enzymes have significant potential in waste management and consequently in the
sustainable development of green environment. In recent years, the use of microbial
enzymes in food processing has already gained much importance, and the list is
continuously progressing for their potential applications. Apart from enhancing the
nutrients, quality and shelf life of food products, use of microbial enzymes as
biosensors and for nutraceutical production is an area of great interest. At present,
increasing population and associated issues due to nutrient deficiency among chil-
dren and poor is one of the great concerns. Therefore, emerging microbial enzyme
technologies are to be refined and applied in such a way that we can minimize the
nutrient deficiency and improve the health status of poor population. By improving
organoleptic characteristics and yield, microbial enzyme application will reduce the
harmful environmental impact of wastes and wastewaters produced by the food
industry. Additionally, advances in microbial metabolic engineering are resulting in
new, efficient engineered enzyme systems, which could facilitate to transform the
food industry into a highly sustainable and environmental friendly method.
1.5 Conclusion
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58(11):2041–2045
1 Microbial Enzymes in Food Technology 17
Abstract
Enzymes are biological catalysts that can be found in every living system. It takes
part in various reactions and is mainly found in plants, animals, and
microorganisms. The introduction of enzymes in the food industries began with
the application of chymosin, derived from the calf stomach, for the production of
cheese. Since then, advances in biotechnology have paved way to the application
of enzymes synthesized by recombinant microorganisms. Living organisms
achieve bioconversion of a substance with the help of enzymes. Due to high
substrate specificity, enzymes find applicability in baking, dairy, detergent,
leather, and beverage industries. Additionally, enzymes also play a vital role in
wastewater treatment, animal nutrition, paper manufacturing, and pharmaceutical
and biofuel applications. Furthermore, the discovery of cellulose- and lipid-
hydrolyzing enzymes along with the extensive applications of genetic engineer-
ing has provided momentum to producing alternative fuel sources from plant-
based waste on a huge scale. This chapter deals with various enzymes typically
applied in bioconversion and food processing.
Keywords
Enzymes · Hydrolysis · Fermentation · Food processing · Bioconversion
2.1 Introduction
Enzymes are biological catalysts which regulate metabolic pathways in every living
system. Owing to their inherent nature of substrate specificity and controlled reaction
conditions, enzymes find commercial applications in various industries. Since their
introduction into the manufacturing process in the 1970s, enzymes have paved a
niche for themselves, and the “Global Enzyme Industry” is projected to be worth
6.3 billion dollars by 2020 (marketsandmarkets.com 2016). Industrial enzymes are
widely accepted in food and beverage, pharmaceutical, textile, animal feed, biofuel,
cosmetic, detergent, and paper and pulp industry.
Industrial enzymes are produced by growing bacteria and fungi in submerged
fermentation or by solid-state fermentation. Submerged fermentation is preferred
over the latter owing to better process control measures. Depending on the nature of
enzymes being intracellular or extracellular, downstream processing techniques after
fermentation may include cell disruption and filtration. The crude enzyme is then
further purified by precipitation, centrifugation, and other effective protein purifica-
tion techniques (Ravindran and Jaiswal 2016).
As mentioned earlier enzymes are highly specific in the reactions they catalyze.
Furthermore, enzymatic reactions take place in mild conditions compared to chemi-
cal syntheses. Being readily biodegradable, an enzymatic process requires much less
investment to make it environment-friendly while leading to very low or no toxicity.
This gives manufacturers the flexibility to produce products with the same or higher
quality without leaving a carbon footprint and releasing harmful chemicals into the
environment. Although competent from an environmental point of view, enzymes
must be commercially viable to displace chemical manufacturing processes that are
traditionally extremely inexpensive. The beginning of commercial enzyme produc-
tion was masked with the secretion of a mixture of enzymes with the yield of the
target enzyme being less than 10 g/l. With the application of recombinant DNA
technology, researchers have been able to devise truncated molecules that serve a
unique purpose while using bacterial and fungal hosts to mass-produce superior
quality of an enzyme with yields reaching as high as 40 g/l. Almost 90% of the
enzymes in the industry today is manufactured by following these steps. Also,
heterologous genes that code for enzymes are modified to optimize the performance
under conditions they are intended to work in. The development of tailor-made
enzymes is an iterative process which involves mutation and screening and is highly
dependent on structural information of the enzymes and design concepts aiming to
improve substrate specificity or thermostability (Cherry and Fidantsef 2003).
On the 26th we halted, after marching from five in the morning till
eleven, at a spot a few miles distant from the river, where there are
three rest-houses—one for the chiefs of the party which is travelling,
one for the servants, and one to serve as kitchen. Gazelles were
plentiful in this district, but we were unable to use our rifles on
account of the throng of Arabs, cattle, and sheep in the
neighbourhood. It was interesting to watch the manner in which the
goats feed at this season. They are tended by half-naked
Soudanese boys who carry long crooked staves. With these they pull
down the branches of the mimosas, and the goats browse the leaves
and twigs. They also stand upon their hind legs, resting their forelegs
upon boughs, and so reach the foliage, keeping the branches down
with their hoofs, while they eat the succulent new shoots. When they
are seen from a distance in this attitude they exactly resemble
people. In this region the villages are very small—mere hamlets
consisting of a few huts, and very little ground is under cultivation.
The land is used for pasture throughout the district, and is apparently
common to all comers.
On March 27, we travelled about thirteen miles and halted at a
rest-house. We had reached a zone of lower temperature—the
maximum at midday was 89°—and the journeys were no longer
unpleasant. The riverside scenery is interesting and beautiful in the
lower as well as in the higher reaches, and the dome-palms become
more numerous as one advances northward and add to the charm of
the banks. There was no other vegetation when we saw the country
except low-grown mimosas and mimosa-scrub. Sand stretches away
on either side from the course of the river, and we crossed few khors
after leaving Goz Regeb, for the rainfall in this region is absorbed in
the soil and is insufficient to produce torrents which would scour a
course towards the stream.
In the afternoon I took my fishing-tackle and tried my fortune in a
pool from which I landed two fish, one of about fifteen pounds and
one of about five pounds, and a crocodile tried his luck upon the
bank and nearly caught a man. Before I set out with my rod I had
been warned by the sheikh of the village near which we had
encamped that the beasts were very dangerous in this part of the
Atbara, and I kept a good look-out for signs of them. It happened,
however, that just as I had made a cast, Dupuis, who had been out
with his rifle, passed behind me and sang out, “Have you caught
anything?” I stepped back briskly, as good luck would have it, and
answered, “Have you shot anything?” and at the instant the crocodile
lashed at my legs with its tail to strike me into the water. It had been
awaiting its chance to take me off my guard, and I had had no inkling
of danger. I judged the length of the reptile to be about twelve feet. It
certainly had a sound sporting plan and made a smart dash; for it
only missed me by a few inches. The tails of these creatures are
very powerful, and if the one that had been stalking me had judged
distance a little better, I should certainly have been knocked into the
pool.
A little later I heard in Cairo that a week after my adventure, a
woman, who was filling a water-sack close to the place where I had
stood, turned round to answer some men who were exchanging
chaff with her; as she did so, a crocodile struck her on the hip with its
tail, lashed her some distance into the water, and immediately
dragged her under. I was told that they use the tail-trick only with
human beings and always seize beasts by the snout. But this
account does not quite agree with the observations of Sir S. Baker,
who made a very careful study of the habits of the crocodiles in the
rivers of the Soudan.
FOOTNOTES:
[1]A khor is a gully or gorge formed by the rush of rain in the
wet season. It is a watercourse at that time, but a dry ravine
during the rest of the year.
[2]Kneel.
[3]These bottles were of aluminium covered with felt. Before
we started on the day’s march, the felt was soaked in water, and
the evaporation from it tended to keep the drinking supply cool.
[4]Lieutenant-Colonel.
[5]Governor.
[6]Chief baggage-man.
[7]This trill is maintained on the same note—the upper B flat of
the feminine vocal compass—and is produced by a vibration of
the tip of the tongue on the hard palate. Many European ladies
have tried to give a rendering of it, but without success. In Lower
Egypt the “joy-trilling” is called zungareet.
[8]“The Nile Tributaries of Abyssinia,” 1867, p. 525.
[9]Ib. p. 523.
[10]“Life in Abyssinia,” 1868, p. 101
[11]“The great plain comes to an end within a few miles of
Gedaref, the ground becomes uneven and rocky, and Gedaref
itself is situated in an open valley surrounded by bare hills of
basaltic rock.”—Sir W. Garstin, “Report upon the Basin of the
Upper Nile,” 1904.
[12]“The shotel (sword) is an awkward-looking weapon. Some,
if straight, would be nearly four feet long; they are two-edged, and
curved to a semicircle, like a reaper’s sickle. It is a very clumsy
weapon to manage. Many of the swords are made of the soft iron
of the country and bend on the least stress. The handles are
made of the horn of the rhinoceros, sawn into three longitudinal
pieces, and incised so as to end in sharp points parallel to the
blades. The shank is usually clinched over a half-dollar beaten
convex. I should scarcely mind a blow from a sword thus
mounted, as, were the striker to give his wrist any play, in order to
make his cut at all effective, he could not fail sending one of the
highly ornamental but very useless points of his hilt into his own
wrist. . . . In the use of the gun the natives are in general
exceedingly clumsy. They prefer large, heavy matchlocks, to load
which is a labour of some minutes. They carry their powder in
hollow canes fitted into a leathern belt worn round the waist; and,
having no fixed charge, pour out at hazard a small quantity into
the hand. This they measure with the eye, occasionally putting
back a little if it appear too much, or adding a little if it seem not
enough. After this operation has been performed two or three
times, till they are pretty well satisfied as to the quantity, it is
poured into the gun-barrel. The proper charge is now tested by
the insertion of the ramrod. Lastly, when all is settled, some rag
and a small bar or ball of roughly wrought iron are rammed down.
This last operation (with the exception that the ramrod often sticks
in the rag for half an hour) is not difficult, as the ball is made of
about a quarter of an inch less diameter than the bore of the
piece for which it is intended. It is great fun to see these gunners,
when taken unawares by a sudden alarm; one can’t find his flint,
another has lost his steel; then there is the striking of a light,
blowing the match, priming the gun, fixing the match to a proper
length and direction; and, lastly, sticking into the ground the rest,
which nearly all of them use, especially if their piece be of the
heavy description. There is one thing in their favour—that the
mere sound of driving in the rest is generally sufficient to turn
away the bravest Abyssinian cavalry that ever charged.”—
Mansfield Parkyns, pp. 236, 241.
[13]“Wanderings among the Falashas in Abyssinia,” by Rev. H.
Stern, 1862.
[14]“Narrative of a Journey through Abyssinia,” by Henry
Dufton, 1867.
[15]Dufton, pp. 16, 17.
[16]Ib. pp. 35, 36.
[17]“The Nile Tributaries of Abyssinia,” 1867, pp. 356-357.
[18]“The Nile Tributaries of Abyssinia,” p. 182.
[19]For a variety of reasons—some of them creditable—a
number of Abyssinians abandon their allegiance to Menelek and
the Rases (chiefs) and become subject to Anglo-Egyptian
jurisdiction.
[20]“King of Kings,” title of the Abyssinian monarch.
[21]“The Nile Tributaries of Abyssinia,” p. 502.
[22]Mansfield Parkyns has given a full and careful description
of the national costume. I extract the following details from it:
—“The ‘quarry’ is the principal article of Abyssinian dress: it is of
cotton, and very fine and soft; those of the richer being finer but
probably not so serviceable as those of the poorer class. It is
made in three pieces; each piece is about three feet broad by
fifteen feet long. Near both ends of each piece is a red stripe, five
or six inches broad.” The pieces are sewn together so as to form
“a white double cloth, with a red border near the bottom only; the
breadth of the ‘quarry’ is nine feet by seven and a half long. . . .
The methods of putting on the cloth are as various as the modes
of wearing a Highland plaid. One of the most ordinary ways is first
to place it like a cloak over the shoulders: the right end, which is
purposely left the longer, is then thrown over the left shoulder, and
the bottom border, which would otherwise (from its length) trail on
the ground, is gathered over the right shoulder” (“Life in
Abyssinia,” pp. 228, 229). “The trousers are of a soft textured but
rather coarse cotton stuff, made in the country, and are of two
sorts: one called ‘cállis,’ the other ‘coumta.’ The former reaches
half-way down the calf of the leg, the latter to about three or four
inches above the knee” (ib. pp. 225, 226). The other garment
worn by the men is a belt. These cinctures “vary in length from
fifteen to sixty yards, and are about one yard in width. In quantity
of cotton they are nearly all of the same weight, as the very long
ones are in proportion finer than the shorter” (ib. p. 227). With
regard to feminine dress, “there is a distinguishing costume for
young girls, and for those who, from being married or otherwise,
are no longer considered as such. The dress of the former is
indeed rather slight, though far more picturesque than that of the
latter. . . . The girls merely wear a piece of cotton stuff wrapped
round the waist and hanging down almost to the knee, and
another (or the end of the former, if it be long enough) thrown
over the left shoulder, so as to leave the right arm and breast
exposed. In other parts of Tigre a black goat-skin, ornamented
with cowries, is often substituted for this latter. An ordinary
woman wears a large loose shirt down to the feet, with sleeves
made tight towards the wrist. This, with a ‘quarry’ similar to those
of the men, but worn rather differently, and a parasol when out of
doors, is a complete suit” (ib. pp. 241-243). Parkyns thus
describes the system of hairdressing: “In general, neither sex
wears any covering on the head, preferring to tress and butter
that with which nature has provided them. The hair of the
Abyssinians is admirably adapted for this purpose, being neither
short and crisp like a negro’s, nor yet of the soft elasticity of a
European’s, but between the two. . . . The operation of tressing is
a very tedious one, usually occupying an hour or two per head:
therefore, of course, it is repeated as seldom as possible: by
some great dandies once a fortnight: by others once a month, or
even less frequently. In the interim large supplies of fresh butter
are employed, when obtainable, in order to prevent the chance of
a settlement of vermin; and a piece of stick, like a skewer, is used
for scratching. The hair is gathered in plaits close over the whole
surface of the head, the lines running fore and aft, and the ends
hanging down in ringlets over the neck. . . . Some ladies have
their butter daubed on nicely, and then some scent: but the great
‘go’ among the dandies is to appear in the morning with a huge
pat of butter (about two ounces) placed on the top of the head,
which, as it gradually melts in the sun, runs over the hair and
down the neck, over the forehead, and often into the eyes,
thereby causing much smarting. This last ingression, however,
the gentleman usually prevents by wiping his forehead frequently
with his hand or the corner of his ‘quarry.’ As may be imagined,
the dresses neither of the women nor men are long free from
grease; but this, especially among the latter sex, is of no
importance; indeed, many young men among the soldiery
consider a clean cloth as ‘slow,’ and appropriate only for a
townsman or a woman. These never have their quarries washed
from one St. John’s Day to another” (ib. pp. 243-245).
[23]“Modern Abyssinia,” p. 248.
[24]“Life in Abyssinia,” p. 282.
[25]“Abyssinia,” by Herbert Vivian, 1901, pp. 314-327.
[26]“Life in Abyssinia,” p. 418.
[27]Guard-house.
[28]“On one occasion we had a small adventure. We were
resting one night near the summit of a mountain, when about two
hours before daybreak we were awaked by a loud hubbub and
the discharge of a gun. Starting to our feet, we inquired what was
up, and our anxiety was increased by M. Lejean’s Arab seizing
the second gun and discharging it. All I saw, for it was pitch dark,
was one of the mules kicking about amongst the ashes of a half-
extinguished fire, and endeavouring to extricate himself from the
leather thong which bound his head to a tree. This he soon
succeeded in doing, and went off at a furious rate towards the
woods which clothe the sides of the mountain. I thought he had
burnt himself at the fire, and that this was the cause of his