Thermal inactivation kinetics of quality-related enzymes in cauliflower (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Brassica oleracea</Emphasis> var. <Emphasis Type="Italic">botrytis</Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Bold">)</Emphasis>

Thermal inactivation of quality-related enzymes in both cauliflower crude enzyme extracts and fresh tissue samples was studied in temperature range 50–100 °C. For crude enzyme extracts, several parameters, reaction rate constants (k) and activation energy (E _a) as well as decimal reduction time (D) and (z) values, were used to characterize the thermal stability. The rates of inactivation were found to follow first-order inactivation kinetics. Activation energies varied between 101.18 and 208.42 kJ mol⁻¹ with z values of 10.59–24.09 °C. The examined kinetics indicated that lipoxygenase was the most heat resistant followed by peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase, pectin methyl esterase and ascorbic acid oxidase. Furthermore, the obtained results from the blanched fresh tissues indicated that inactivation of lipoxygenase secured disappearing of any other enzyme activities. Therefore, this study recommends using lipoxygenase as an indicator enzyme to optimize the thermal treatments of cauliflower products.     

Adsorption isotherms of osmo-oven dried african star apple (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Chrysophyllum albidum</Emphasis>) and african mango (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Irvingia gabonensis</Emphasis>) slices

Halves of deseeded and deskinned pulps of African star apple (Chrysophyllum albidum) at three different stages of ripeness were immersed in sucrose solutions of 44°B, 52°B and 60°B in water baths at 27 °C and 40 °C for 8 h. About 10 mm slices of African mango (Irvingia gabonensis) at two different stages of ripeness were immersed in osmotic (sucrose) solutions of 52°B, 60°B and 68°B in water baths at 27 °C and 40 °C for 10 h. The adsorption isotherms of the osmo-oven dried fruit pieces were conducted at water activities between 0.1 and 0.9, at 20 °C and 40 °C. Higher equilibrium temperature and solids gained in the osmo-air dried pieces caused a depression of the adsorption isotherms, especially at low and intermediate a_w range. Crossing of the 20 °C and 40 °C isotherms for both African star apple and African mango occurred at a_w ~0.8. Sorption data was fitted into eight isotherm models. Guggenheim–Anderson de Boer (GAB) model was best fitted (r²=0.912 for African mango, and r²=0.998) for modelling and calculation of the monolayer moisture (M_m) content. M_m content increased with increasing degree of ripeness and total solids of osmo-oven dated products. M_m decreased with increased temperature. M_m of African mango and African star apple was in the range of 2.91–6.55 and 7.66–16.04% d.b., respectively.     

Drying kinetics of whole and sliced <Emphasis Type="Italic">shiitake</Emphasis> mushrooms (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Lentinus edodes</Emphasis>)

Isotherms of shiitake mushroom (Lentinus edodes) at 25 and 40°C were determined and drying kinetics of whole and sliced shiitake mushrooms were tested using a convective air drying method at different drying temperature of 40, 50, 60, and 70°C. The monolayer moisture contents of the mushroom were 7.23 and 5.44 g water/100 g of dry solids at 25 and 40°C, respectively. Both mushroom samples showed falling drying rate periods with increasing drying rates with increases in drying temperature, and the drying rate of the sliced mushrooms was faster than that of the whole mushrooms at the same drying conditions. The kinetic parameters for dehydration of the mushrooms were determined using the Newton model and the Classical diffusion model. Activation energy (E _a ) values as determined using the Newton model were 22.58 and 20.48 kJ/mol for the whole and sliced mushrooms, respectively.     

Foam-Mat Drying of Plantain and Cooking Banana (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Musa</Emphasis> spp.)

Foaming, reconstitution, and sensory attributes of foam-mat-dried plantain and cooking banana were investigated. Plantain and cooking banana pastes mixed with different concentrations (0.005%, 0.01%, 0.015%, and 0.02%) of glyceryl monostearate (GMS) were whipped, and the resulting foams were air dried at 60°C, 70°C, and 80°C. Physical, chemical, and sensory properties of fresh and reconstituted paste from plantain and cooking bananas were determined. Higher GMS concentration and longer whipping time resulted in lower foam densities. Generally, cooking banana foams showed lower foam density compared to plantain foam. Lower drying temperatures and concentration of GMS resulted in longer drying time. pH (4.41–4.80), titratable acidity (0.06–0.08), and water absorption capacity (56.75–64.02%) of the reconstituted pastes varied with commodity, drying temperature, and %GMS concentration. Fresh and reconstituted pastes showed comparable physical and chemical attributes, while the taste and sensory attributes of fresh plantain and cooking banana pastes were significantly (p < 0.05) better than those of reconstituted pastes.     

Estrogenic effects of various extracts from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chamdanggui</Emphasis> (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Angelica gigas</Emphasis> Nakai) and <Emphasis Type="Italic">sogdan</Emphasis> (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Phlomis umbrosa</Emphasis> Turcz)

The various extracts from chamdanggui (Angelica gigas Nakai) and sogdan (Phlomis umbrosa Turcz) were evaluated for estrogenic activity and characterized according to HPLC profile. Chamdanggui and sogdan were individually extracted with 4 solvents (hot water, 70% ethanol, n-butanol, and dichloromethane) of differing polarities. Estrogenic activity was determined by E-screen using an estrogen-dependent MCF-7 BUS cell. Although almost all extracts showed estrogenic effects in a concentrationdependent manner, the hot water extract from chamdanggui (250 μg/mL) had the higher effect (138%). Among 90 fractions using HPLC separation of the hot water extract from chamdanggui, fraction 21 and 28 produced the highest estrogenic effects of 178 and 163% at 10 μg/mL, respectively. The results imply that the hot water extract from chamdanggui could be useful as an alternative hormone replacement therapy.     

Molecular diversity among natural populations of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lactobacillus paracasei</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lactobacillus plantarum</Emphasis>/<Emphasis Type="Italic">paraplantarum</Emphasis> strains isolated from autochthonous dairy products

The diversity of 87 Lactobacillus paracasei and Lactobacillus plantarum/paraplantarum strains, previously identified from different autochthonous dairy products, was investigated by phenotypic and genotypic approaches. The increased resolution obtained using phenotypic and genotypic characterization allowed the level of strain heterogeneity detection to be widened. Phenotypic diversity was evaluated by studying biochemical characteristics of technological interest, including antimicrobial and proteinase activities, resistance to nisin, aggregation ability, production of exopolysaccharides, acetoin and diacetyl, citrate utilization, and antibiotic susceptibility. Genotypic diversity was generally evaluated by PCR amplification of repetitive bacterial DNA element fingerprinting using the (GTG)₅ primer [(GTG)₅-PCR]. Moreover, in cases where strains were not discriminated by (GTG)₅-PCR combined with phenotypic analysis, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) analysis was performed. The results indicate that L. plantarum/paraplantarum and L. paracasei natural isolates from artisanal dairy products are a gold mine in terms of diversity of strains and could be potentially interesting to dairy companies for the formulation of functional starter cultures in the production of innovative foods.     

Ultraviolet Treatment of Orange Juice to Inactivate <Emphasis Type="Italic">E. coli</Emphasis> O157:H7 as Affected by Native Microflora

The effect of yeast concentration on ultraviolet (UV) inactivation of five strains of Escherichia coli O157:H7 from different sources, inoculated both individually and simultaneously in orange juice, was analyzed and mathematically modeled. The presence of yeast cells in orange juice decreases the performance of UV radiation on E. coli inactivation. UV absorption coefficients in the juice increased with increasing yeast concentration, and higher UV doses were necessary to inactivate bacterial strains. UV intensities of I = 3.00 ± 0.3 mW/cm² and exposure times (t) between 0 and 10 min were applied; radiation doses (energy, E = I × t) ranging between 0 and 2 J/cm² were measured using a UV digital radiometer. All the tested individual strains showed higher resistance to the treatment when UV radiation was applied at 4 °C in comparison to 20 °C. UV inactivation of E. coli O157:H7 individual strain was satisfactory fitted with a first order kinetic model. A linear relationship was found between UV absorptivities and D values (radiation doses required to decrease microbial population by 90%) for each strain. The dose required to reach 5-log reduction for the most unfavorable conditions that is the most UV resistant strain, and maximum background yeast concentration was 2.19 J/cm² at 4 °C (corresponding to 11 min of UV treatment) and 2.09 J/cm² at 20 °C (corresponding to 10.55 min of UV treatment). When a cocktail of strains was inoculated in orange juice, the logistic equation was the best model that fits the experimental results due to the deviation from the log-linear kinetics. The UV resistance between strain cocktail and single strain were mathematically compared. Slopes of the decline curves for strain cocktail at high UV doses were lower than the slopes of the log-linear equation calculated for the individual strains, even for the most resistant one. Therefore, microbial inactivation tests using a cocktail of strains are particularly important to determine the performance of the UV inactivation treatment.     

Effect of Processing Methods on the In Vitro Protein Digestibility and Vitamin Content of Edible Winged Termite (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Macrotermes subhylanus</Emphasis>) and Grasshopper (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Ruspolia differens</Emphasis>)

The influence of processing methods of toasting and solar drying on the in vitro protein digestibility and vitamins content of edible winged termites, green grasshoppers, and brown grasshoppers consumed in Siaya, district of Kenya, was determined using standard methods. Analysis was done on fresh, toasted, toasted dried, and fresh dried insect samples. There was no significant change (p > 0.05) in protein digestibility in the termite samples, while a significant decrease (p ≤ 0.05) in the grasshopper samples was observed on toasting and drying. There was a significant reduction (p ≤ 0.05) in riboflavin content with 4.18 mg/100 g in fresh termites, 2.76 mg/100 g in toasted termites, 2.26 mg/100 g in fresh dried termites, and 1.50 mg/100 g in toasted dried termites on processing. There was also a significant reduction (p ≤ 0.05) in niacin content in the grasshoppers with 3.61 mg/100 g in fresh green grasshopper, 3.28 mg/100 g in toasted green grasshopper, 3.22 mg/100 g in fresh dried green grasshoppers, and 3.06 mg/100 g in toasted dried green grasshoppers. A significant reduction (p ≤ 0.05) in retinol content with 2.24 μg/g in fresh termites, 1.56 μg/g in toasted termites, 1.02 μg/g in toasted dried termites, and 0.98 μg/g in fresh dried termites was also reported. The processing methods of the insects affected their nutrient potential as evidenced by the changes in protein digestibility and vitamins content. Therefore, optimal processing methods need to be investigated even as we promote commercialization of these insects.     

Co-production of Lactic Acid and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lactobacillus rhamnosus</Emphasis> Cells from Whey Permeate with Nutrient Supplements

Lactic acid and cell production from whey permeate by Lactobacillus rhamnosus with different nutrient supplements were investigated in this study. Yeast extract was identified as the most effective nutrient affecting lactic acid production. Increase in inoculum size from 0.05% to 1% (v/v) resulted in a substantial increase in lactic acid productivity from 0.66 to 0.83 g L⁻¹ h⁻¹ (P < 0.001). The optimal temperature for lactic acid production was 37 °C, while the highest cell production was obtained at 42 °C. When whey permeate and yeast extract concentrations were 6.8% (w/v) and 3 g L⁻¹, respectively, lactic acid productivity reached 0.85 g L⁻¹ h⁻¹ after 48-h cultivation, which is 3.40 times of those without nutrient supplements.     

Irradiation Sensitivity of Planktonic and Biofilm-associated <Emphasis Type="Italic">Listeria monocytogenes</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">L. innocua</Emphasis> as Influenced by Temperature of Biofilm Formation

The human pathogen Listeria monocytogenes forms biofilms that are relatively resistant to chemical sanitizing treatments. Ionizing radiation effectively inactivates planktonic Listeria, but no information is available on the relative efficacy of the process against biofilm-associated Listeria. The irradiation sensitivity of planktonic or biofilm cells was determined for L. monocytogenes ATCC 43256 and ATCC 49594 and a commonly used surrogate Listeria innocua ATCC 51742. Biofilms were formed on sterile glass slides incubated for 48 h at 22°C, 28°C, or 37°C. The cultures were gamma irradiated and the irradiation D ₁₀ value was calculated for each combination of isolate/culture/temperature. The effect of temperature of cultivation on the irradiation sensitivity of both planktonic cells and biofilm cells varied for each of the isolates. Depending on isolate and temperature, biofilm cells were equally sensitive or more sensitive (P < 0.05) to irradiation. D ₁₀ values overall tended to increase with temperature of cultivation for L. monocytogenes 49594 and L. innocua 51742, but tended to decrease with increasing temperature for L. monocytogenes 43256. The D ₁₀ values of the various culture/temperature combinations differed significantly among the isolates examined. Irradiation effectively eliminates both planktonic and biofilm-associated cells. The extent to which the biofilm habitat modifies the antimicrobial efficacy of irradiation is dependent on the specific isolate examined and the temperature at which it forms. This study is the first inquiry to show that biofilm Listeria cells are as sensitive or more sensitive to irradiation compared with planktonic cells and that this response is dependent on biofilm formation conditions.     

Characterization and inhibition of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rosmarinus officinalis</Emphasis> L. polyphenoloxidase

Polyphenoloxidase (PPO) from Rosmarinus officinalis L. was fractionated by ammonium sulfate ((NH₄)₂SO₄) precipitation and dialysis, and then some of its kinetic properties such as optimum pH and temperature, substrate specificity, thermal inactivation, and inhibition were investigated using 4-methylcatechol, catechol, and pyrogallol as substrates. The protein content of Rosmarinus officinalis L. extracts was determined according to Bradford’s method. Kinetic parameters, K _m and V _max, were calculated from Lineweaver–Burk plots. According to V _max/K _m ratio, 4-methylcatechol was the most suitable substrate. The optimum temperature and pH values were 20, 30 and 30 °C, and 7, 8 and 8 for 4-methylcatechol, catechol, and pyrogallol substrates, respectively. The thermal inactivation of PPO was investigated at 35, 55, and 75 °C. The enzyme activity decreased with increasing temperature. The effect of different inhibitors on partly purified Rosmarinus officinalis L. PPO was spectrophotometrically investigated. For this purpose, ascorbic acid and l-cysteine were used to inhibit the activity of Rosmarinus officinalis L. PPO at different concentrations. From the experimental results, it was found that l-cysteine is a more effective inhibitor than ascorbic acid due to lower K _i values.     

Effect of Processing Methods on Physical,Chemical, Rheological,and Sensory Properties of Okra (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Abelmoschus esculentus</Emphasis>)

Effects of freezing/thawing, sun drying, solar drying, and foam-mat drying on physical, chemical, rheological, and sensory attributes of okra were investigated. Average poured bulk and tapped bulk densities of sun-dried, solar-dried, and foam-mat-dried okra were 800 and 950, 715 and 765, 355 and 367 kg/m³, respectively. Minimum and maximum porosity of sun-dried, solar-dried, and foam-mat dried okra were 55.70% and 62.60%, 50.06% and 53.30%, 60.90% and 62.87%, respectively. Sun-dried and solar-dried okra showed higher L*, a*, and chroma values than frozen/thawed and foam-mat-dried okra. Within a temperature range of 80–40 °C, viscosity of fresh, frozen/thawed, foam-mat-dried, solar-dried, and sun-dried okra were 0.055–0.080, 0.055–0.075, 0.050–0.073, 0.005–0.065, and 0.005–0.022 Nsm⁻², respectively. Sensory evaluation showed no significant difference (p < 0.05) between fresh, frozen/thawed, and foam-mat dried okra in color, aroma, and overall acceptability. Sun-dried and solar-dried okra were significantly poorer (p < 0.05) in color, aroma, taste, and overall acceptability.     

Properties of thermostable extracellular FOS-producing fructofuranosidase from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cryptococcus</Emphasis> sp.

The present work was devoted to investigations concerning the fructooligosaccharide producing activity of Cryptococcus sp. LEB-V2 (Laboratory of Bioprocess Engineering, Unicamp, Brazil) and its extracellular fructofuranosidase. After cell separation, the enzyme was purified by ethanol precipitation and anion exchange chromatography. The enzyme showed both fructofuranosidase (FA) and fructosyl transferase (FTA) activity. With sucrose as substrate, the data failed to fit the Michaelis–Menten behaviour, showing a substrate inhibitory model. The K _m, K _i and v _max values were shown to be 64 mM, 3 M and 159.6 μmol mL⁻¹ min⁻¹ for FA and 131 mM, 1.6 M and 377.8 μmol mL⁻¹ min⁻¹ for FTA, respectively. The optimum pH and temperature were found to be around 4.0 and 65 °C, while the best stability was achieved at pH 4.5 and temperatures below 60 °C, for both the FA and FTA. Despite the strong FA activity, the high transfructosylating activity allowed for good FOS production from sucrose (35% yield).     

Investigation of Different Gas Sensor-Based Artificial Olfactory Systems for Screening <Emphasis Type="Italic">Salmonella typhimurium</Emphasis> Contamination in Beef

Two different electronic nose systems (metal oxide and conducting polymer based) were used to identify Salmonella typhimurium contaminated beef strip loin samples (stored at two temperatures). The sensors present in the two systems were ranked based on their Fisher criteria of ranking to evaluate their importance in discriminant analysis. The most informative sensors were then used to develop linear discriminant analysis and quadratic discriminant analysis-based classification models. Further, sensor signals collected from both the sensor systems were combined to improve the classification accuracies. The developed models classified meat samples based on the Salmonella population into “No Salmonella” (microbial counts < 0.7 log₁₀ cfu/g) and “Salmonella inoculated” (microbial counts ≥ 0.7 log₁₀ cfu/g). The performances of the developed models were validated using leave-1-out cross-validation. Classification accuracies of 80% and above were observed for the samples stored at 10 °C using the sensor fusion approach. However, the classification accuracies were relatively low for the meat samples stored at 4 °C when compared to the samples stored at 10 °C. The results indicate that the electronic nose systems could be effectively used as a first stage screening device to identify the meat samples contaminated with S. typhimurium.     

Modelling the Water Sorption Isotherms of Quinoa Seeds (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Chenopodium quinoa</Emphasis> Willd.) and Determination of Sorption Heats

Adsorption and desorption isotherms of quinoa seeds (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) were measured using the static gravimetric method at three temperatures (20, 40 and 60 °C). Water activity ranged from 0.118 to 0.937. The moisture sorption behaviour of quinoa was temperature dependent, as indicated by a decrease in equilibrium moisture content, at all levels of a _w, with increasing temperature. Eight mathematical equations available in the literature were used to model the experimental data, namely, GAB, BET, Caurie, Henderson, Oswin, Halsey, Smith and Iglesias–Chirife. All the equations showed generally a good fit; however, the Iglesias–Chirife and Oswin equations were considered the best to predict the experimental data for both isotherms. Effect of temperature on model parameters was analysed and studied through an Arrhenius-type equation. The net isosteric heats of desorption and adsorption were determined by applying the Clausius–Clapeyron equation resulting in 69.24 kJ mol⁻¹ for desorption and 61.26 kJ mol⁻¹ for adsorption. The experimental heat data were satisfactorily modelled by Tsami’s equation.     

A New Multiplexed Real-Time PCR Assay to Detect <Emphasis Type="Italic">Campylobacter jejuni</Emphasis>, <Emphasis Type="Italic">C. coli</Emphasis>, <Emphasis Type="Italic">C. lari</Emphasis>, and <Emphasis Type="Italic">C. upsaliensis</Emphasis>

A new rapid method based on real-time PCR was developed to detect four thermophilic Campylobacter species (Campylobacter jejuni, Campylobacter coli, Campylobacter lari, and Campylobacter upsaliensis) in food samples. The assay targeted the bipA gene for C. upsaliensis and C. lari, whereas the gene encoding the ATP-binding protein CJE0832 was used to detect C. coli and C. jejuni. These genes were chosen for this assay due to their low variability and mutation rate at a species level. The multiplex PCR showed 100% inclusivity for all 25 thermophilic Campylobacter strains tested and 100% exclusivity for 38 non-targeted strains belonging to closely related species. The newly developed real-time PCR could detect down to 10² genomes/reaction and displayed efficiency above 97% for all species except for C. upsaliensis (90.1%). The method proved to be a reliable tool for food analysis, showing 100% sensitivity, 96% efficiency, and 92.45% specificity when validated against the gold standard method UNE-EN ISO 10272:2006 using 200 diverse food samples (meat, fish, fruits and vegetables, and raw milk). In artificially spiked samples, the detection limit of the method was 10 cfu/g in salad, 5 cfu/g in turkey meat, and 1 cfu/g in the rest of meat samples tested. Consequently, the newly designed molecular tool represents a quick and safe alternative to obtain reliable results concerning the presence/absence of the main thermophilic Campylobacter in any food sample.     

Properties of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aspergillus subolivaceus</Emphasis> free and immobilized dextranase

Aspergillus subolivaceus dextranase is immobilized on several carriers by entrapment and covalent binding with cross-linking. Dextranase immobilized on BSA with a cross-linking agent shows the highest activity and considerable immobilization yield (66.7%). The optimum pH of the immobilized enzyme is shifted to pH 6.0 as compared with the free enzyme (pH 5.5). The optimum temperature of the reaction is resulted at 60 °C for both free and immobilized enzyme. Thermal and pH stability are significantly improved by the immobilization process. The calculated K _m of the immobilized dextranase (14.24 mg mL⁻¹) is higher than that of the free dextranase (11.47 mg mL⁻¹), while V _max of the immobilized enzyme (2.80 U μg protein⁻¹) is lower than that of the free dextranase (11.75 U μg protein⁻¹). The immobilized enzyme was able to retain 76% of the initial catalytic activity after 5.0 cycles.     

Optimization of the Antibacterial Activity of Half-Fin Anchovy (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Setipinna taty</Emphasis>) Hydrolysates

In some cases, food proteins hydrolyzed by protease can release antibacterial peptides. In this study, antibacterial activities of half-fin anchovy (Setipinna taty), digested by papain, pepsin, trypsin, alkaline protease, acidic protease, and flavoring protease, were measured, respectively. Additionally, the mechanism of antibacterial action was investigated. Results showed that half-fin anchovy pepsin hydrolysate displayed higher antibacterial activity than other hydrolysates. Response surface methodology was then used to optimize pepsin hydrolysis parameters using a central composite design method. The results demonstrated that pepsin-to-substrate level of 1,100 U/g, pH of 2.0, reaction time of 2.4 h, and water-to-substrate ratio of 4:1 (v/w) were the optimal conditions to generate antibacterial hydrolysate. The optimized half-fin anchovy pepsin hydrolysate (HAHp) effectively inhibited the growth of Escherichia coli CGMCC 1.1100, Pseudomonas fluorescens CICC 20225, Proteus vulgaris CICC 20049, and Bacillus megaterium CICC 10324 with the minimal inhibitory concentration values ranging from 28.38 to 56.75 μg/ml. The cell integrity of E. coli CGMCC 1.1100 was significantly destroyed after incubation with HAHp for 5 h (p < 0.05), and cell membrane damage was also observed in scanning electron microscopy. It could be concluded that the antibacterial mechanism was partially due to the ability of HAHp to destroy bacterial cell integrity via irreversible cell membrane damage. Moreover, amino acid composition analysis showed that HAHp’s nutritional value was superior to the reference used by WHO/FAO, indicating that HAHp could be used as a functional antibacterial agent in food or feed.     

Partial Purification and Characterization of Extracellular Fructofuranosidase with Transfructosylating Activity from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Candida</Emphasis> sp.

The present work was carried out with the aim to investigate some properties of an extracellular fructofuranosidase enzyme, with high transfructosylating activity, from Candida sp. LEB-I3 (Laboratory of Bioprocess Engineering, Unicamp, Brazil). The enzyme was produced through fermentation, and after cell separation from the fermented medium, the enzyme was concentrated by ethanol precipitation and than purified by anion exchange chromatography. The enzyme exhibited both fructofuranosidase (FA) and fructosyltransferase (FTA) activities on a low and high sucrose concentration. With sucrose as the substrate, the data fitted the Michaellis–Menten model for FA, showing rather a substrate inhibitory shape for fructosyltransferase activity. The K _m and v _max values were shown to be 13.4 g L⁻¹ and 21.0 μmol mL⁻¹ min⁻¹ and 25.5 g L⁻¹ and 52.5 μmol mL⁻¹ min⁻¹ for FA and FTA activities, respectively. FTA presented an inhibitory factor K _i of 729.8 g L⁻¹. The optimum conditions for FA activity were found to be pH 3.25–3.5 and temperatures around 69 °C, while for FTA, the optimum condition were 65 °C (±2 °C) and pH 4.00 (±0.25). Both activities were very stable at temperatures below 60 °C, while for FA, the best stability occurred at pH 5.0 and for FTA at pH  4.5–5.0. Despite the strong fructofuranosidase activity, causing hydrolysis of the fructooligosaccharides (FOS), the high transfructosilating activity allows a high FOS production from sucrose (44%).