Characterization of the Interactions between Cereal Flour and “Nata Puree” in Batter

This study aimed to characterize the interactions between cereal flour (rice, wheat, and barley) and “nata puree” (NP), a disintegrated bacterial cellulose (BC) in the presence of a water-soluble polysaccharide, with powder-dispersion activity. Pasting properties of cereal flour with additives were analyzed using a Rapid Visco Analyzer, and disintegrated BC in water (BCW), three water-soluble polysaccharides: (1,3)(1,4)-β-glucan, tamarind seed gum, and birchwood xylan, and the corresponding NPs were used as additives. For rice flour, additional BCW or NPs increased the initial and the peak viscosity. The addition of water-soluble polysaccharides produced the opposite trend: viscosity increased from the peak time to the end of measurements. For wheat flour, the addition of BCW or NP delayed the peak time and increased peak viscosity; the increase was maintained till the end of measurements. For barley flour, the additional BCW or NP caused a higher gelatinization rate and increased viscosity at the starch-retrogradation stage. Next, static gelatinization of a rice flour suspension in NP was successfully accomplished before placing it in a vessel; NP concentration in the gel significantly affected the firmness. Thus, the dynamic and unique interactions between various cereal flours and cell-wall polysaccharides in NPs can increase the flours'' potential; static gelatinization of cereal flour with NP could expand flours'' application range in both current and next-generation cooking.     

4-O-Methyl Modifications of Glucuronic Acids in Xylans Are Indispensable for Substrate Discrimination by GH67 α-Glucuronidase from Bacillus halodurans C-125

A GH67 α-glucuronidase gene derived from Bacillus halodurans C-125 was expressed in E. coli to obtain a recombinant enzyme (BhGlcA67). Using the purified enzyme, the enzymatic properties and substrate specificities of the enzyme were investigated. BhGlcA67 showed maximum activity at pH 5.4 and 45 °C. When BhGlcA67 was incubated with birchwood, oat spelts, and cotton seed xylan, the enzyme did not release any glucuronic acid or 4-O-methyl-glucuronic acid from these substrates. BhGlcA67 acted only on 4-O-methyl-α-D-glucuronopyranosyl-(1→2)-β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-xylopyranose (MeGlcA³Xyl₃), which has a glucuronic acid side chain with a 4-O-methyl group located at its non-reducing end, but did not on β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1→4)-[4-O-methyl-α-D-glucuronopyranosyl-(l→2)]-β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-xylop- yranose (MeGlcA³Xyl₄) and α-D-glucuronopyranosyl-(l→2)-β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-xylopyranose (GlcA³Xyl₃). The environment for recognizing the 4-O-methyl group of glucuronic acid was observed in all the crystal structures of reported GH67 glucuronidases, and the amino acids for discriminating the 4-O-methyl group of glucuronic acid were widely conserved in the primary sequences of the GH67 family, suggesting that the 4-O-methyl group is critical for the activities of the GH67 family.     

Microbial α-L-Rhamnosidases of Glycosyl Hydrolase Families GH78 and GH106 Have Broad Substrate Specificities toward α-L-Rhamnosyl- and α-L-Mannosyl-Linkages

α-L-Rhamnosidases (α-L-Rha-ases, EC 3.2.1.40) are glycosyl hydrolases (GHs) that hydrolyze a terminal α-linked L-rhamnose residue from a wide spectrum of substrates such as heteropolysaccharides, glycosylated proteins, and natural flavonoids. As a result, they are considered catalysts of interest for various biotechnological applications. α-L-rhamnose (6-deoxy-L-mannose) is structurally similar to the rare sugar α-L-mannose. Here we have examined whether microbial α-L-Rha-ases possess α-L-mannosidase activity by synthesizing the substrate 4-nitrophenyl α-L-mannopyranoside. Four α-L-Rha-ases from GH78 and GH106 families were expressed and purified from Escherichia coli cells. All four enzymes exhibited both α-L-rhamnosyl-hydrolyzing activity and weak α-L-mannosyl-hydrolyzing activity. SpRhaM, a GH106 family α-L-Rha-ase from Sphingomonas paucimobilis FP2001, was found to have relatively higher α-L-mannosidase activity as compared with three GH78 α-L-Rha-ases. The α-L-mannosidase activity of SpRhaM showed pH dependence, with highest activity observed at pH 7.0. In summary, we have shown that α-L-Rha-ases also have α-L-mannosidase activity. Our findings will be useful in the identification and structural determination of α-L-mannose-containing polysaccharides from natural sources for use in the pharmaceutical and food industries.     

球磨、超声和盐酸处理对几丁质的微观结构和酶促脱乙酰效率的影响

几丁质是地球上第二丰富的天然多糖,可经过脱乙酰生成壳聚糖。但是,其结晶度高、溶解性差,使其酶促脱乙酰效率很低。为研究不同处理对几丁质的微观结构和酶促脱乙酰效率的影响,本实验分别对几丁质进行了球磨、超声和盐酸改性处理。首先确定球磨和超声改性的最佳条件;然后使用傅里叶变换红外光谱、元素分析、X射线衍射、热重-差示扫描量热法和扫描电子显微镜对改性几丁质的微观结构进行表征;最后测定红球菌11-3的几丁质脱乙酰酶对改性几丁质的脱乙酰效率。结果表明,球磨和超声改性的最佳条件分别为1 800 r/min、45 min和400 W、45 min。3种几丁质改性方法中,球磨几丁质改性效果最好,与原几丁质相比,黏均分子质量降低了88.14%;几丁质分子间氢键网络被破坏,部分糖苷键断裂;脱乙酰度有所增加;结晶度由96.30%降低至73.04%;热稳定性被破坏;结构呈现堆叠现象,变得疏松多孔。此外,几丁质脱乙酰酶对球磨几丁质的脱乙酰效率更高,乙酸产量较原几丁质提高了2.40倍。综上,球磨处理可以更有效地改变天然几丁质的理化性质和微观结构,从而提高几丁质的酶促脱乙酰效率。     

Hydrolyzed wheat gluten suppresses transglutaminase-mediated gelation but improves emulsification of pork myofibrillar protein

The influence of 15-h chymotrypsin-hydrolyzed wheat gluten (GH) on microbial transglutaminase (MTGase)-mediated interaction, gelation and emulsification of pork myofibrillar protein isolate (MPI) was investigated at two ionic strengths (0 M and 0.6 M NaCl) and pH 6.5. MTGase treatments in 0 M NaCl solution decreased the size of myosin heavy chain through deamidation, but this was inhibited by GH or in 0.6 M NaCl where myosin polymerization dominated. Stabilization of MPI (thermal transitions) by the MTGase treatment was also diminished (P < 0.05) by the presence of GH at both ionic strengths. These GH-induced MPI physicochemical changes greatly weakened the ability of MTGase to promote MPI thermal gelation (gel storage modulus, P < 0.05), especially at 0.6 M NaCl, which was shown to result from reduced protein aggregation. However, GH improved (P < 0.05) emulsifying properties of MPI, regardless of MTGase treatment.     

Expression of the cytoplasmic domain of NodC as an active form in Drosophila S2 cells

NodC, a membrane protein that catalyzes the synthesis of the chitin oligosaccharide chain, was successfully produced in a soluble form. The truncated NodC gene encoding only the cytoplasmic domain that deletes the hydrophobic N-terminus expressed both cytoplasmic and secreted proteins in Drosophila Schneider 2 cells. The expressed protein maintained the ability to synthesize chitin oligosaccharides, primarily (GlcNAc)4, similar to the native membrane-bound NodC. This evidence suggests that only the large hydrophilic loop of NodC is efficient for enzymatic activity. Moreover, immobilizing the soluble NodC to a solid phase has no effect on the enzymatic activity. This, anchoring NodC is not necessary for its activity.     

维氏气单胞菌来源几丁质酶的克隆表达及应用

丰年虾是一种小型甲壳类动物,孵化后的幼虫是水产动物的优质饵料,残留的卵壳则作为废弃物处理.然而丰年虾卵壳含有丰富的蛋白质和几丁质,具有极大的应用潜力.为了从丰年虾卵壳中制备几丁寡糖,选择了水解产物分布宽泛和含有几丁质结合域的维氏气单胞菌来源的几丁质酶ChiB565,将其在毕赤酵母Pichia pastoris中进行重组...     

Characterization of a GH Family 20 Exo-β-N-acetylhexosaminidase with Antifungal Activity from Streptomyces avermitilis

We characterized SaHEX, which is a glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 20 exo-β-N-acetylhexosaminidase found in Streptomyces avermitilis. SaHEX exolytically hydrolyzed chitin oligosaccharides from their non-reducing ends, and yielded N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) as the end product. According to the initial rate of substrate hydrolysis, the rates of (GlcNAc)₃ and (GlcNAc)₅ hydrolysis were greater than the rates for the other oligosaccharides. The enzyme exhibited antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger, which was probably due to hydrolytic activity with regard to chitin in the hyphal tips. Therefore, SaHEX has potential for use in GlcNAc production and food preservation.     

Microwave-Intensified Enzymatic Deproteinization of Australian Rock Lobster Shells (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Jasus edwardsii</Emphasis>) for the Efficient Recovery of Protein Hydrolysate as Food Functional Nutrients

Enzymatic deproteinization of lobster shells is an important step in developing a novel biorefinery process for the recovery of both protein and chitin. This study aimed to develop an efficient enzymatic deproteinization of lobster shells for protein recovery while providing the residual fraction suitable for further chitin recovery. In comparison with conventional incubation, the microwave-intensified enzymatic deproteinization (MIED) of Australian rock lobster shells significantly improved the deproteinization degree from 58 to 85.8 % and reduced the residual protein content from 96.4 to 65.4 mg/g, respectively. The protein hydrolysate produced by MIED had excellent functionality (solubility 91.7 %, water absorption 32 %, oil absorption 2.3 mL/g, foaming 51.3 %, emulsification 91.3 %) and high nutritional quality (34 % essential amino acids, 45.4 mg/g arginine, lysine/arginine ratio 0.69) with potential applications for food industry. With the considerably low residual protein, the MIEDs are suitable for further chitin recovery.     

Evaluation of Ammonia Pretreatment for Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Sugarcane Bagasse to Recover Xylooligosaccharides

Sugarcane bagasse is a useful biomass resource. In the present study, we examined the efficacy of ammonia pretreatment for selective release of hemicellulose from bagasse. Pretreatment of bagasse with aqueous ammonia resulted in significant loss of xylan. In contrast, pretreatment of bagasse with anhydrous ammonia resulted in almost no xylan loss. Aqueous ammonia or anhydrous ammonia-pretreated bagasse was then subjected to enzymatic digestion with a xylanase from the glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 10 or a xylanase from the GH family 11. The hydrolysis rate of xylan in bagasse pretreated with aqueous ammonia was approximately 50 %. In contrast, in the anhydrous ammonia-treated bagasse, xylan hydrolysis was > 80 %. These results suggested that anhydrous ammonia pretreatment would be an effective method for preparation of sugarcane bagasse for enzymatic hydrolysis to recover xylooligosaccharides.     

Production and characterization of milk-clotting enzyme from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus amyloliquefaciens</Emphasis> JNU002 by submerged fermentation

Milk-clotting enzymes produced by microorganisms have been developed to replace calf rennet, yet the enzymatic level and the ratio of milk-clotting activity to proteolytic activity still need further improvement. This work described a strain Bacillus amyloliquefaciens JNU002 that screened from wheat bran that has a promising characterization. After optimization, B. amyloliquefaciens JNU002 showed a high milk-clotting activity (4969 SU/mL) and low proteolytic activity (4.02 U/mL) at 48 h with an inoculum size of 0.2% (v/v) at initial pH 6.0 in 15-L bioreactor. After purification, the purified enzyme gave a single protein band on SDS–PAGE, corresponding to 28 kDa. The purified enzyme showed a high ratio (2,575) of milk-clotting activity to proteolytic activity at 35 °C, and the ratio would be even higher (22,992) at 70 °C. The milk-clotting reaction and proteolytic reaction were prevented at 75 °C. This enzyme was stable at pH 4–6 and below 40 °C, and this was convenient for storage and transportation.     

几丁质脱乙酰酶菌株的筛选鉴定及酶学性质

利用平板变色圈法从土壤中筛选出一株产几丁质脱乙酰酶活力较高的菌株,命名为F2-7-3。为分离筛选出几丁质脱乙酰酶高产菌株、生物制备几丁质脱乙酰酶提供来源,并为进一步提高该菌株产酶能力及酶的活性提供研究基础,通过形态学观察、生理生化实验、16SrDNA测序分析等方法对该菌株进行了鉴定,并对其发酵产生的脱乙酰酶的酶学性质进行了研究。经鉴定该菌株为红球菌属。酶学性质研究表明,该酶反应的最适温度为50℃,最适pH为7.0,Mn2+、Ca2+及K+在低浓度下对酶促反应有激活作用。分析结果表明该菌产酶能力较强,具有良好的开发价值。     

桔橙小单孢菌产几丁质脱乙酰酶的酶学性质研究

从海边红树林虾场土壤中筛选的一株产几丁质脱乙酰酶（CDA）的放线菌桔橙小单孢菌（Micromonospora aurantiaca）,研究其产CDA的酶学性质。结果表明,CDA的十二烷基硫酸钠-聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳(SDS-PAGE)电泳结果显示为单一条带,分子质量为81.8 ku。最适pH值为7.0;最适温度为40 ℃;Ca2+对此CDA酶活有促进作用,而Cu2+、Zn2+、Mg2+表现出了抑制作用。CDA对虾壳来源的几丁质有明显的脱乙酰效果,红外光谱测得样品脱乙酰度由39.03%提高至78.40%。扫描电镜发现CDA酶解过的几丁质样品表面疏松多孔、出现凹槽、晶体消失,进一步印证了该酶的良好脱乙酰效果,也力证了该酶拥有较好的特性。     

Characterization of a GH36 β-L-Arabinopyranosidase in Bifidobacterium adolescentis

β-L-Arabinopyranosidases are classified into the glycoside hydrolase family 27 (GH27) and GH97, but not into GH36. In this study, we first characterized the GH36 β-L-arabinopyranosidase BAD_1528 from Bifidobacterium adolescentis JCM1275. The recombinant BAD_1528 expressed in Escherichia coli had a hydrolytic activity toward p-nitrophenyl (pNP)-β-L-arabinopyranoside (Arap) and a weak activity toward pNP-α-D-galactopyranoside (Gal). The enzyme liberated L-arabinose efficiently not from any oligosaccharides or polysaccharides containing Arap-β1,3-linkages, but from the disaccharide Arap-β1,3-L-arabinose. However, we were unable to confirm the in vitro fermentability of Arap-β1,3-Ara in B. adolescentis strains. The enzyme also had a transglycosylation activity toward 1-alkanols and saccharides as acceptors.     

Analysis of Transglucosylation Products of Aspergillus niger α-Glucosidase that Catalyzes the Formation of α-1,2- and α-1,3-Linked Oligosaccharides

According to whole-genome sequencing, Aspergillus niger produces multiple enzymes of glycoside hydrolases (GH) 31. Here we focus on a GH31 α-glucosidase, AgdB, from A. niger . AgdB has also previously been reported as being expressed in the yeast species, Pichia pastoris ; while the recombinant enzyme (rAgdB) has been shown to catalyze tranglycosylation via a complex mechanism. We constructed an expression system for A. niger AgdB using Aspergillus nidulans . To better elucidate the complicated mechanism employed by AgdB for transglucosylation, we also established a method to quantify glucosidic linkages in the transglucosylation products using 2D NMR spectroscopy. Results from the enzyme activity analysis indicated that the optimum temperature was 65 °C and optimum pH range was 6.0–7.0. Further, the NMR results showed that when maltose or maltopentaose served as the substrate, α-1,2-, α-1,3-, and small amount of α-1,1-β-linked oligosaccharides are present throughout the transglucosylation products of AgdB. These results suggest that AgdB is an α-glucosidase that serves as a transglucosylase capable of effectively producing oligosaccharides with α-1,2-, α-1,3-glucosidic linkages.     

Preparation and characteristics of squid pen β‐chitin prepared under optimal deproteinisation and demineralisation condition

Squid (Todarodes pacifica) pen was an excellent source of β‐chitin with 25.5% yield. The optimal condition to prepare squid pen β‐chitin was established: deproteinisation with 3% NaOH for 30 min at 15 psi/121 °C and a solid/solvent ratio of 1:10 (w/v) and a subsequent demineralisation with 1 N HCl for 30 min at room temperature and a solid/solvent ratio of 1:10 (w/v). Squid pen β‐chitin contained 6.29% nitrogen, 0.25% ash, and negligible fat with degree of acetylation of 94.02%, residual amino acid of 0.499 g/100 g and bulk density of 0.28 g mL^?1. Depending on its particle size, squid pen β‐chitin visually looked white (L* = 82.82, a* = ?0.67, b* = 6.31; particle size of 0.15–0.18 mm) or light grey (L* = 62.88, a* = 0.33, b* = 10.66; particle size of 0.425–0.841 mm). Water, fat and dye‐binding capacity of squid pen β‐chitin was 694.67%, 194.03% and 79.81%, respectively.     

Functional Properties of Chitin and Chitosan

Chitin (poly-β (1?4)-N-acetyl-D-glucosamine), chitosan (deacetylated chitin) and microcrystalline chitin (redispersible chitin powder) were compared with microcrystalline cellulose to examine the use of those cellulose-like biopolymers as functional additives for potential application in food formulations. Water binding, fat binding and emulsifying properties were studied. Baking tests were performed with 0.5–2.0% (flour basis) of microcrystalline chitin added to wheat flour bread or to potato protein fortified (8% potato protein concentrate) white bread. Water-binding capacity and fat binding capacity of chitin, chitosan and microcrystalline chitin ranged from 230–440s (w/w) and from 170–315% (w/w). Chitosan and chitin did not produce emulsions but microcrystalline chitin showed good emulsifying properties and was superior to microcrystalline cellulose. Increasing concentration of microcrystalline chitin (0.12–0.8 g/100 ml water) had a positive effect on emulsion stability. Addition of microcrystalline chitin increased specific loaf volume of white bread and protein fortified breads. Water addition of 65% (flour basis) was found to be optimum for “chitin breads.”     

Purification and properties of extracellular chitinases from the parasitic fungus Isaria japonica

Two chitinases (P-1 and P-2) induced with colloidal chitin were purified from the culture supernatant of Isaria japonica by chromatography on DEAE Bio-Gel, chromatofocusing and gel filtration with Superdex 75 pg. The enzymes were electrophoretically homogeneous and estimated to have a molecular mass of 43,273 (±5) for P-1 and 31,134 (±6) for P-2 by MALDI-MS. The optimum pH and temperature was 3.5–4.0 and 50°C for P-1 and 4.0–4.5 and 40°C for P-2. P-1 acted against chitosan 7B (degree of deacetylation, 65–74%) = glycol chitin> colloidal CHITIN = chitosan 10B (degree of deacetylation, above 99%) and P-2 against chitosan 7B> glycol CHITIN = chitosan 10B> colloidal chitin in order of activity. The products of hydrolysis of chitin and chitosan hexamer were analyzed by MALDI-MS. The products from the chitin hexamer obtained with P-1 were almost all dimers with only a small amount of trimer whereas those obtained with P-2 were mainly trimers with some dimer and tetramer. No hydrolysis of chitosan hexamer was observed. High homology in the amino-terminal sequence for chitinase P-1 was exhibited by chitinases from Trichoderma harzianum, Candida albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae in the range of 48–39%. The highest homology for Chitinase P-2 was shown by an endochitinase from Metarhizium anisopliae of 66%, while 44% homology was exhibited by chitinases of Leguminosae plants.     

Influence of high-intensity pulsed electric field processing on lipoxygenase and β-glucosidase activities in strawberry juice

The influence of high-intensity pulsed electric field (HIPEF) parameters, pulse frequency, pulse width and pulse polarity in strawberry juice lipoxygenase (LOX) and β-glucosidase (β-GLUC) was studied using a response surface methodology. The studied parameters affected on both residual enzymatic activities at unchanging electric field strength of 35 kV/cm and treatment time for 1000 μs. The contour plots showed a minimum defined space where residual activity of LOX remained at 65% and 70% in monopolar and bipolar mode, respectively. Low pulse frequencies (up to 61.6 Hz) in monopolar treatments as well as pulse frequencies and widths higher than 218 Hz and 5.4 μs in bipolar treatments did not have any effect on LOX inactivation. On the other hand, the higher the pulse frequency and pulse width, the higher the β-GLUC inactivation obtained. Moreover, when the HIPEF treatment was applied in monopolar mode, an enhancement in β-GLUC activity was observed in most of the experimental range. HIPEF treatments have demonstrated adequately that can reduce activity of enzymes that are involved in the formation of desirable flavor compounds, helping processors to obtain juices that keep their fresh flavor.

Industrial relevance

High-intensity pulsed electric fields (HIPEF) have proved to be effective in the interaction of microorganisms and enzymes in juices, maintaining their quality and freshness.HIPEF juice processing has demonstrated to have some advantages with regard to conventional thermal treatment. HIPEF treatments can reduce adequately enzymes that are involved in the formation of desirable flavor or color compounds. Thus, HIPEF technology can help processors to obtain juices that keep their fresh flavor by achieving optimal inactivation of related enzymes. This would prevent the product from undesirable off-flavor formation, which in turn would result in greater acceptability by consumers.     

Brand differences of free-base nicotine delivery in cigarette smoke: the view of the tobacco industry documents

The recent availability of internal tobacco industry documents provides significant insight into industry knowledge and manipulation of tobacco smoke delivery. One critical area of research is the role of smoke chemistry in determining the absorption and effects of smoke constituents, especially harm producing or pharmacologically active compounds. Independent scientific research has suggested that the nicotine dosing characteristics, hence the addiction potential of cigarettes, may be determined in part by the amount of free‐base nicotine in cigarette smoke and its effects on the location, route, and speed of absorption in the body and on the sensory perception effects of the inhaled smoke. Tobacco industry documents describe the use of a number of methods internally for measuring free‐base nicotine delivery. These include the common use of cigarette “smoke pH” as a means to estimate the fraction of free‐base nicotine in the particulate matter (PM) in cigarette smoke, as well as efforts to measure free‐base nicotine directly. Although these methods do not provide accurate absolute measures of free‐base nicotine in smoke, consistencies observed in the findings across the various manufacturers indicate: (1) real relative differences in the acid/base chemistry of the smoke from different brands of cigarettes; (2) a connection between differences in free‐base levels and brand‐dependent differences in sensory perception and smoke “impact”; and (3) levels of free‐base nicotine that are greater than have typically been publicly discussed by the industry. Furthermore, the results of these methods are generally consistent with those of a recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which directly measured the free‐base fraction of nicotine across a range of cigarette types. Consideration of the likely fundamental importance of free‐base nicotine levels in cigarette smoke, together with the efforts discussed in the tobacco industry documents to measure such levels, indicates that the public health community would benefit from additional research to assess directly the delivery of free‐base nicotine in cigarette smoke across brands. This may be especially useful for those products (“light”, “ultralight”, “reduced carcinogen”, etc) that have been promoted, either explicitly or implicitly, as “harm reducing”.