Characterisation of an acidic peroxidase from papaya (Carica papaya L. cv Tainung No. 2) latex and its application in the determination of micromolar hydrogen peroxide in milk

An acidic peroxidase isoform, POD-A, with a molecular mass of 69.4 kDa and an isoelectric point of 3.5 was purified from papaya latex. Using o-phenylenediamine (OPD) as a hydrogen donor (citrate–phosphate as pH buffer), the optimum pH for the function of POD-A was 4.6, and the optimum temperature was 50 °C. The peroxidase activity of POD-A toward hydrogen donors was both pH- and concentration-dependent. Under optimal conditions, POD-A catalysed the oxidation of OPD at higher rates than pyrogallol, catechol, quercetin and 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS). The chemical modification reagents N-bromosuccinimide and sodium azide significantly inhibited POD-A activity. The results of kinetic studies indicated that POD-A followed a ping-pong mechanism and had a K_m value of 2.8 mM for OPD. Using CPC silica-immobilised POD-A for the determination of micromolar H₂O₂ in milk, the lower limit of determination was 0.1 μM, and the recoveries of added H₂O₂ were 96–109%.     

An extra-cellular alkaline metallolipase from Bacillus licheniformisMTCC 6824: Purification and biochemical characterization

An extra-cellular lipase produced by Bacillus licheniformis MTCC 6824 was purified to homogeneity by ammonium sulphate fractionation, ethanol/ether precipitation, dialysis, followed by anion-exchange chromatography on Amberlite IRA 410 (Cl⁻ form) and gel exclusion chromatography on Sephadex G 100 using Tris–HCl buffer (pH 8.0). The crude lipase extract had an activity of 41.7 LU/ml of culture medium when the bacterium was cultured for 48 h at 37 °C and pH 8.0 with nutrient broth supplemented with sardine oil as carbon source. The enzyme was purified 208-fold with 8.36% recovery and a specific activity of 520 LU/mg after gel exclusion chromatography. The pure enzyme is a monomeric protein and has an apparent molecular mass of 74.8 kDa. The lipase had a V_max and K_m of 0.64 mM/mg/min and 29 mM, respectively, with 4-nitro phenylpalmitate as a substrate, as calculated from the Lineweaver–Burk plot. The lipase exhibited optimum activity at 45 °C and pH 8.0, respectively. The enzyme had half-lives (T_1/2) of 82 min at 45 °C, and 48 min at 55 °C. The catalytic activity was enhanced by Ca²⁺ (18%) and Mg²⁺ (12%) at 30 mM. The lipase was inhibited by Co²⁺, Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺, Fe² even at low concentration (10 mM). EDTA, at 70 mM concentration, significantly inhibited the activity of lipase. Phenyl methyl sulfonyl fluoride (PMSF, 70 mM) completely inactivated the original lipase. A combination of Ca²⁺ and sorbitol induced a synergistic effect on the activity of lipase with a significantly high residual activity (100%), even after 45 min, as compared to 91.5% when incubated with Ca²⁺ alone. The lipase was found to be hydrolytically resistant toward triacylglycerols with more double bonds.     

Characterisation of a thermostable family 42 β-galactosidase from Thermotoga maritima

A β-galactosidase gene (TM_0310) of Thermotoga maritima MSB8 was expressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant β-galactosidase (designated BgalB) was purified to homogeneity by heat treatment and Ni-NTA affinity chromatography. BgalB belongs to the glycoside hydrolase family 42. Its molecular mass was estimated to be 78 kDa and 76 kDa by SDS–PAGE and gel filtration, respectively. The enzyme was optimum at pH 5.5, and it was quite stable over the pH range 5.0–11.4 at 70 °C. It was optimally active at 80 °C and was stable up to 75 °C. Besides, BgalB exhibited broad substrate specificity with a preference for p-nitrophenyl-β-galactopyranoside (pNPGal). K_m values of the purified enzyme for pNPGal, o-nitrophenyl-β-galactopyranoside (oNPGal) and pNP-β-fucopyranoside were 2.7 mM, 12.5 mM and 1.4 mM, respectively. These properties make this enzyme an interesting candidate for biotechnological applications. This is the first report of the family 42 β-galactosidases from T. maritima.     

Characterisation of a β-N-acetylhexosaminidase from a commercial papaya latex preparation

A β-N-acetylhexosaminidase (β-NAHA) (EC 3.2.1.52) with molecular mass of 64.1 kDa and isoelectric point of 5.5 was purified from a commercial papaya latex preparation. The optimum pH for p-nitrophenyl-N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminide (pNP-β-GlcNAc) hydrolysis was five; the optimum temperature was 50 °C; the K_m was 0.18 mM, V_max was 37.6 μmol min⁻¹ mg⁻¹ and activation energy (E_a) was 10.3 kcal/mol. The enzyme was thermally stable after holding at 30–45 °C for 40 min, but its activity decreased significantly when the temperature exceeded 50 °C. Heavy metal ions, Ag⁺ and Hg²⁺, at a concentration of 0.25 mM and Zn²⁺ and Cu²⁺, at a concentration of 0.5 mM, significantly inhibited enzyme activity. The β-NAHA had only one active site for binding both pNP-β-GlcNAc and p-nitrophenyl-N-acetyl-β-d-galactosaminide (pNP-β-GalNAc). A prototropic group with pKa value of about five on the enzyme may be involved in substrate binding and transformation, as examined by Dixon–Webb plots.     

Sucrose hydrolysis by gelatin-immobilized inulinase from Kluyveromyces marxianus var. bulgaricus

The crude cell-free medium from a culture of Kluyveromyces marxianus var. bulgaricus was immobilized in a gelatin-water support, with an immobilization yield of 82.60% for inulinase activity. The optimum pH for both free and immobilized inulinase was the same (3.5) and the optimum temperatures were 55 °C for the free and 60 °C for the immobilized enzyme. The Arrhenius plots were linear and activation energies were 56.20 (free enzyme) and 20.27 kJ/mol K (immobilized enzyme). The kinetic parameters were calculated by Lineweaver–Burk plots and the V_max and K_m were 37.60 IU/mg protein and 61.83 mM for the free inulinase and 31.45 IU/mg protein and 149.28 mM for the immobilized enzyme, respectively. The operational stability of the immobilized inulinase was studied in a continuous fixed-bed column reactor for 33 days, at the end of which the sucrose conversion was 58.12%.     

A β-galactosidase from chick pea (Cicer arietinum) seeds: Its purification,biochemical properties and industrial applications

A β-galactosidase from Cicer arietinum seeds has been purified to apparent electrophoretic homogeneity using a combination of various fractionation and chromatographic techniques, giving a final specific activity of 220 units mg⁻¹, with approximately 1840 fold purification. Analysis of the protein by SDS–PAGE revealed two subunits with molecular masses of 48 and 38 kDa, respectively. These bands were further confirmed with LC–MS/MS, indicating that Chick pea β-galactosidase (CpGAL) is a heterodimer. Molecular mass was determined to be 85 kDa by Superose-12 FPLC column, which is in agreement with the molecular mass suggested by mass spectroscopy to be 83 kDa. The optimum pH of the enzyme was 2.8 and it hydrolysed o-nitrophenyl β-d galactopyranoside (ONPG) with a K_m value of 1.73 mM at 37 °C. The energy of activation (E_a) calculated in the range of 35 to 60 °C, using Arrhenius equation, was determined to be 11.32 kcal mol⁻¹. The enzyme could also hydrolyse lactose, with an optimum pH of 4.0 at 40 °C. K_m and E_a for lactose hydrolysis was found to be 10 mM and 10.57 kcal mol⁻¹, respectively. The enzyme was found to be comparatively thermostable showing maximum activity at 60 °C for both ONPG and lactose. Galactose was found to be the competitive inhibitor. β-Galactosidase also exhibited glycoproteineous properties when applied on Con-A Sepharose column. The enzyme was localised in germinated seeds with X-gal activity staining and shown to be expressed prominently at grown radical tip and seed coat. Sequence alignment of CpGAL with other known plant β-galactosidase showed high amino acid sequence homology.     

Characterization of polyphenol oxidase from butter lettuce (Lactuca sativa var. capitata L.)

Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) was isolated from butter lettuce (Lactuca sativa var. capitata L.) grown in Poland and its biochemical characteristic were studied. PPO from butter lettuce showed a higher affinity to 4-methylcatechol than to catechol. The K_M and V_max values were: 3.20 ± 0.01 mM and 4081 ± 8 U/ml min⁻¹ for catechol and 1.00 ± 0.09 mM and 5405 ± 3 U/ml min⁻¹ for 4-methylcatechol. The optimum pHs of the enzyme were found to be 5.5 using catechol and 6.8 using 4-methylcatechol as substrate. The enzyme had a temperature optimum of 35 °C. The enzyme was relatively stable at 30 °C and 40 °C. The times required for 50% inactivation of activity at 50 °C, 60 °C and 70 °C were found to be about 30, 20 and 5 min, respectively. Inhibitors used for investigation in this study were placed in relative order of inhibition: p-hydroxybenzoic acid > glutathione ≈ ascorbic acid > l-cysteine > EDTA > citric acid. The enzyme eluted in the chromatographic separations was analyzed electrophoretically under denaturating conditions. The analysis revealed a single band on the SDS–PAGE which corresponded to a molecular weight of 60 kDa.     

Characterisation of a thermostable family 42 β-galactosidase (BgalC) family from Thermotoga maritima showing efficient lactose hydrolysis

A β-galactosidase gene (TM_1195) of Thermotoga maritima was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant β-galactosidase (BgalC), belonging to glycosyl hydrolase (GH) family 42, was purified to homogeneity with 23.4-fold purification and a recovery of 36.6%. Its molecular mass was estimated to be 78 kDa by SDS–PAGE. BgalC exhibited maximum activity at an optimal pH of 5.5 and an optimum temperature of 80 °C. The enzyme displayed important properties, such as stability over a broad pH range of 5.0–9.0 and thermostability up to 75 °C. K_m values of BgalC for p-nitrophenyl-β-galactopyranoside (pNPGal), o-nitrophenyl-β-galactopyranoside (oNPGal) and lactose were 1.21, 7.31 and 6.5 mM, respectively. BgalC was efficient in complete removal of lactose from milk. BgalC is significantly one of the few β-galactosidases from family 42 displaying significant hydrolysis of lactose. These properties make BgalC an ideal candidate for commercial use, in the production of lactose-free milk.     

Characterisation of trypsin purified from the viscera of Tunisian barbel (Barbus callensis) and its application for recovery of carotenoproteins from shrimp wastes

Trypsin was purified from the viscera of barbel by precipitation using ammonium sulphate (0-80%), Sephadex G-100, and Mono Q-Sepharose ion exchange chromatography. The trypsin was purified 27-fold, with 79 U/mg specific activity and 31% recovery. The enzyme had a molecular weight of 24 kDa; purified trypsin appeared as a single band on native-PAGE. The optimum pH and temperature for enzyme activity were pH 10.0 and 55 °C with BAPNA used as a substrate. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the first 12 amino acids of the purified trypsin was IVGGYECTPYSQ. The Michaelis-Menten constant (K_m) and catalytic constant (k_cat) values of the enzyme were 0.018 mM and 1.21 s⁻¹, respectively. The study also investigated the effects of purified trypsin on the recovery of carotenoproteins from shrimp (Parapenaeus longirostris) shells through hydrolysis using 1.0 U barbel trypsin/g shrimp shells for 1 h at 30 °C. The freeze-dried carotenoproteins recovered contained 71.09% protein, 16.47% lipid, 7.78% ash, and 1.79% chitin.     

Characterization of polyphenoloxidase (PPO) and total phenolic contents in medlar (Mespilus germanica L.) fruit during ripening and over ripening

Characterization of polyphenoloxidase (PPO) enzyme and determination of total phenolic concentrations during fruit ripening and over ripening in medlar (Mespilus germanica L.) were determined. During ripening, PPO substrate specificity, optimum pH and temperature, optimum enzyme and substrate concentrations were determined. Among the five mono- and di-phenolic substrates examined ((p-hydroxyphenyl) propionic acid, l-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine, catechol, 4-methylcatechol and tyrosine), 4-methylcatechol was selected as the best substrate for all ripening stages. A range of pH 3.0–9.0 was also tested and the highest enzyme activity was at pH 7.0 throughout ripening. The optimum temperature for each ripening stage was determined by measuring the enzyme activity at various temperatures over the range of 10–70 °C with 10 °C increments. The optimum temperatures were found to be 30, 20 and 30 °C, respectively, for each ripening stage. Optimum enzyme and substrate concentrations were found to be 0.1 mg/ml and 40 mM, respectively. The V_max and K_m value of the reaction were determined during ripening and found to be 476 U/mg protein and 26 mM at 193 DAFB (days after full bloom) – stage 1, 256 U/mg protein and 12 mM at 207 DAFB – stage 2, 222 U/mg protein and 8 mM at 214 DAFB – stage 3. For all ripening stages sodium metabisulfite markedly inhibited PPO activity. For stage 1 of ripening, Cu²⁺, Hg²⁺ and Al³⁺, for stage 2, Cu²⁺ and Hg²⁺, and for stage 3, Cu²⁺, Hg²⁺, Al³⁺ and Ca²⁺ strongly inhibited diphenolase activity. Accordingly, it can be concluded that as medlar fruit ripen there is no significant changes in the optimum values of polyphenoloxidases, although their kinetic parametres change. As the fruit ripening progressed through ripe to over-ripe, in contrary to polyphenoloxidase activity, there was an apparent gradual decrease in total fruit phenolic concentrations, as determined by using the aqueous solvents and water extractions.     

Cell wall invertase immobilization within calcium alginate beads

Yeast cell wall invertase (CWI) was immobilized within calcium alginate beads. The result of entrapment was the complete immobilization of all the added CWI. Three types of biocatalysts were prepared: CWI-S, CWI-155 and CWI-157. The optimum pH values were 4.5 and 5.0 for free and immobilized invertase, respectively. The optimum temperature was 60 °C, for both free CWI and CWI-S immobilizate. 80 °C was the optimum temperature for CWI-155 whereas the optimum temperature for CWI-157 ranged from 50 °C to 80 °C. Immobilized CWI was more stable than was free CWI above optimum activity temperatures. The activation energies were 32 kJ/mol for free CWI and 45, 21 and 25 kJ/mol for CWI-S, CWI-155 and CWI-157, respectively. The K_m values of free and immobilized CWI-157 were 28.4 mM and 72 mM, respectively. The V_max values were estimated as 4.5 mM/min and 0.42 mM/min, respectively. Immobilized CWI-157 was tested in a batch reactor using 70% sucrose (w/v). Complete sucrose conversion was achieved after 55 h. After 40 consecutive cycles, CWI-157 retained 90% of its activity.     

Treatment of soy milk with Debaryomyces hansenii cells immobilised in alginate

Whole cells of Debaryomyces hansenii UFV-1 were permeabilised with ethanol and immobilised in calcium alginate hydrogel. The optimum pH and temperature for α-galactosidase activities of permeabilised free (PFC) and permeabilised immobilised cells (PIC) were 4.5 and 60 °C; and 4.0 and 70 °C, respectively. PIC α-galactosidase was more stable than that of PFC. The incubation of PIC at 60 and 70 °C promoted an increase in α-galactosidase activity. The α-galactosidase activity was maintained when PIC was used in three repeated batches. The K_m values for PIC and PFC α-galactosidases, with ρNPαGal, were 0.82 mM and 0.30 mM, respectively. Soy milk treatment with PIC for 6 h at 60 °C promoted 100% hydrolysis of raffinose oligosaccharides.     

Extraction,purification and properties of trypsin inhibitor from Thai mung bean (Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek)

A trypsin inhibitor from mung bean (Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek) seeds grown in Thailand was extracted and characterised. The optimal extraction medium was attained by shaking the defatted mung been seed powder in distilled water (P < 0.05). The extraction time affected the inhibitor recovery significantly (P < 0.05). The extraction time of 2 h was optimum for the recovery of the trypsin inhibitor from mung bean seeds. The trypsin inhibitor from mung bean seeds was purified by heat-treatment at 90 °C for 10 min, followed by ammonium sulphate precipitation with 30–65% saturation and gel filtration on Sephadex G-50. It was purified to 13.51-fold with a yield of 30.25%. Molecular weight distribution and inhibitory activity staining showed that the purified trypsin inhibitor had a molecular weight of 14 kDa. However, the purified inhibitor had no activity under reducing condition (βME). The purified inhibitor was heat stable up to 50 min at 90 °C. The inhibitory activity was retained over a wide pH range. NaCl, at 0–3% concentration, did not influence the inhibitory activity of the purified trypsin inhibitor from mung bean seeds.     

New alkaline trypsin from the intestine of Grey triggerfish (Balistes capriscus) with high activity at low temperature: Purification and characterisation

A highly alkaline trypsin from the intestine of Grey triggerfish (Balistes capriscus), with high activity at low temperature, was purified and characterised. The enzyme was purified to homogeneity using acetone precipitation, Sephadex G-100 gel filtration and Mono Q-Sepharose anion-exchange chromatography, with a 13.9-fold increase in specific activity and 41.3% recovery. The molecular weight of the purified alkaline trypsin was estimated to be 23.2 kDa by sodium dodecyl sulphate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS–PAGE) and size exclusion chromatography. Purified trypsin appeared as a single band on native–PAGE. Interestingly, the enzyme was highly active over a wide range of pH, from 9.0 to 11.5, with an optimum at pH 10.5, using Nα-benzoyl-DL-arginine-p-nitroanilide (BAPNA) as a substrate. The relative activities at pH 9.0, 11.5 and 12.0 were 86.5%, 92.6% and 52.4%, respectively. The enzyme was extremely stable in the pH range 7.0–12.0. In addition, the enzyme had high activity at low and moderate temperatures with an optimum at around 40 °C and had more than 80% of its maximum activity at 20 °C. The purified enzyme was strongly inhibited by soybean trypsin inhibitor (SBTI) and phenylmethylsulphonyl fluoride (PMSF), a serine protease inhibitor. The enzyme showed extreme stability towards oxidising agents, retaining about 87% and 80% of its initial activity after 1 h incubation at 40 °C in the presence of 1% sodium perborate and 1% H₂O₂, respectively. In addition, the enzyme showed excellent stability and compatibility with some commercial solid detergents.     

Partial purification and characterisation of endoglucanase from an edible mushroom, Lepista flaccida

A crude extract was prepared from the fruiting body of Lepista flaccida, an edible mushroom and endoglucanase activity of the extract was increased 14-fold with ammonium sulphate precipitation. Maximum enzyme activity was seen at pH 4.0 and 50 °C when carboxymethylcellulose was used as a substrate. K_0.5 and V_max values of the partially purified endoglucanase were 7.7 mg/ml and 25 ± 0.9 U/mg protein, respectively. The enzyme was quite stable over a broad range of pH (2.0–9.0) at 4 °C. When it was incubated at temperatures between 20 °C and 60 °C for 12 h, it conserved much of its original activity (over 40%). The activity of the enzyme increased by 234 ± 3.6% in the presence of 1 mM Mn²⁺. The endoglucanase was inhibited by EDTA, PMSF, β-ME and DDT. In conclusion, pH and thermal stability of the L. flaccida endoglucanase could make it useful for industrial purposes.     

Artocarpus integer leaf protease: Purification and characterisation

The presence of a protease in Artocarpus integer leaves, which are traditionally used as a meat tenderiser, was verified by the presence of a band at 69 kDa, using caseinolytic zymography. Purification by temperature phase partitioning with Triton X-114, ammonium sulphate precipitation and gel filtration chromatography yielded a preparation with a 12-fold increase in enzyme purity and a final specific activity of 76.67 U/mg. The cysteinic nature of this enzyme was confirmed through inhibition of enzyme activity by E-64 and iodoacetamide and enhancement of activity by cysteine and 2-mercaptoethanol. The protease retained 70% of its activity over a broad pH range (pH 6–12), with optimal activity recorded at pH 10 and 40 °C. The enzyme was stable at temperatures up to 70 °C, with 80% of its activity intact. Addition of 5 mM Ca²⁺ stimulated enzyme activity and a kinetic study of the enzyme yielded K_m and V_max values of 0.304 mg/mL and 0.735 mg/mL/min, respectively.     

Properties of polyphenol oxidase from Anamur banana (Musa cavendishii)

Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) was extracted from Anamur banana, grown in Turkey, and its characteristics were studied. The optimum temperature for banana PPO activity was found to be 30 °C. The pH-activity optimum was 7.0. From the thermal inactivation studies, in the range 60–75 °C, the half-life values of the enzyme ranged from 7.3 to 85.6 min. The activation energy (E_a) and Z values were calculated to be 155 kJ mol⁻¹ and 14.2 °C, respectively. K_m and V_max values were 8.5 mM and 0.754 OD₄₁₀ min⁻¹, respectively. Of the inhibitors tested, ascorbic acid and sodium metabisulphite were the most effective.     

Identification of calpastatin, μ-calpain and m-calpain in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) muscle

A soft fish muscle is generally considered as a poor quality trait among consumers and producers. This degradation and softening of post mortem muscle is thought to be partly caused by proteolytic enzymes such as the calpain system. Separation and identification of μ-calpain and m-calpain and their inhibitor – calpastatin, from Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) muscle were for the first time assessed in this study. A two-step chromatography approach was used, starting with a hydrophobic interaction column and followed by an anion exchange column. Calpastatin was successfully separated from calpain by hydrophobic interaction chromatography, and following the anion exchange chromatography, two forms of calpastatin (I and II) and two forms of calpain (micro (μ) and milli (m)) were revealed. The proteolytic activity of μ-calpain was detectable with column chromatography, but not consistently detected with casein zymography, and m-calpain was detected with both chromatography and casein zymogram. The proteolytic activity of m-calpain per g muscle was 15 times higher than that of μ-calpain. μ-Calpain had a temperature optimum of 15 °C and a maximum calcium requirement at 0.2 mM, while m-calpain had temperature optimum at 25 °C and a maximum calcium requirement of 0.6 mM. The two forms of calpastatin differed in inhibitory activity with calpastatin II having the highest activity. Both calpastatins tolerated heat treatment, as previously seen for mammals, and they kept their activity when stored at −80 °C, but not at −20 °C. The calpain to calpastatin ratio was 1:4.5 as observed for beef muscle. This study provides evidence that two calpain isoforms, likely to be μ- and m-calpain, in addition to two forms of calpastatin exist in Atlantic salmon muscle.     

Extraction and characterisation of pectin methylesterase from black carrot (Daucus carota L.)

This study was carried out to determine some of the biochemical properties of pectin methylesterase (PME) from black carrot. The enzyme showed very high activity in a broad pH range of 6.5–8.5, with the optimum pH occurring at 7.5. The optimum temperature for maximal PME activity was found to be 55 °C. NaCl enhanced PME activity, particularly at 0.2 M. K_m and V_max values for black carrot PME using apple pectin as substrate were found to be 2.14 mg/ml (r² = 0.988) and 3.75 units/ml, respectively. The enzyme was stable between the temperatures of 30–50 °C/5 min whereas it lost nearly all of its activity at 70 °C/5 min. E_a and Z values were found to be 196.8 kJmol⁻¹ (r² = 0.996) and 2.16 °C (r² = 0.995), respectively.     

Polyphenol oxidase activity,phenolic acid composition and browning in cashew apple (Anacardium occidentale, L.) after processing

This study describes the extraction and characterisation of cashew apple polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and the effect of wounding on cashew apple phenolic acid composition, PPO activity and fruit browning. Purification factor was 59 at 95% (NH₄)₂SO₄ saturation. For PPO activity, the optimal substrate was catechol and the optimum pH was 6.5. PPO K_m and V_max values were 18.8 mM and 13.6 U min⁻¹ ml⁻¹, respectively. Ascorbic acid, citric acid, sodium sulphite and sodium metabisulphite decreased PPO activity, while sodium chloride increased PPO activity. Wounding at 2 °C and 27 °C for 24 h increased PPO activity but storage at 40 °C reduced PPO activity. Gallic acid, protocatechuic acid and cinnamic acid (free and conjugate) were identified in cashew apple juice. Cutting and subsequent storage at 40 °C hydrolysed cinnamic acid. 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural content in cashew apple juice increased after injury and storage at higher temperatures, indicating non-enzymatic browning.