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Microbial Enzymes in Food Industry

As technology progresses, many new enzymes with a wide range of applications are being developed. Various food preparations make applications of enzymes as well as microorganisms such as bacteria, yeast strains, and microorganisms to enhance their flavour.

It has been known for a long time that enzymes and microorganisms can be used in the preparation of food. Plants and animals prefer microbial enzymes given the ease, economics, and continuity with which they can be produced. This review discusses the latest events in enzyme technology for the food industry, which are explained in greater detail below. This thorough list also includes enzymes used during food processing and the microbes of these enzymatic reactions, and the diverse variety of applications for which they are utilised.

Researchers have removed unique microorganisms from intense reasserts below the intense way of life conditions, with the aim that such remote microbes own the functionality to bio-synthesise unique enzymes. Various Bio-industries require enzymes owning unique traits for their programs in processing substrates and uncooked materials. The microbial enzymes act as biocatalysts to carry out reactions in bio-techniques in a cost-effective and environmentally-pleasant manner. The unique traits of enzymes are exploited for their industrial hobby and business programs, which include: thermotolerance, thermophilic nature, tolerance to a variety of pH, the balance of enzyme hobby over quite a number temperature, and pH, and different harsh response. Such enzymes have tested their application in bio-industries, including food, leather, textiles, animal feed, and bio-conversions and bioremediations.

Enzymes from Microbial Sources

There are enzymes at every level of metabolism that are catalysts that speed up biological reactions. Many industries, particularly the pharmaceutical industry, rely on enzymes, for their processes. Especially in the food business, enzymes produced by microorganisms, also known as enzyme synthesis, are frequently used in commercial and industrial applications. Research into enzymes in microorganisms led to their separation, categorization, pilot-scale manufacture, and application to the biological industry in the early 20th century.   Enzymes derived from microorganisms are used in a wide range of commercial processes. Many laboratories across the world have explored the ability of microorganisms like bacteria, fungus, and yeast to biosynthesize economically viable preparatory work for various industrial enzymes, such as lysozyme.

Free enzymes and immobilised enzymes are both utilised in classic biocatalytic reactions, but the specificity of the enzyme decides which method will be used. Enzymes suited to certain processes have been developed as a result of advances in biotechnology. Catalytic reactions can be carried out by numerous well-established enzyme types, and their employment in specific bioprocesses is well-established. Protein engineering, biochemical reaction engineering, and metagenomics have all recently been used to develop a slew of new enzymes.

Commercial proteolytic enzymes are most commonly produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus cereus, and Clostridium, however several fungi have been shown to create these enzymes as well. This enzyme, xylanase, is produced by Trichoderma, Penicillium, and Aspergillus fungi and is used in a variety of bio-industrial applications. The xylanase activity of these microorganisms was examined over a wide temperature range (40-60°C).

Fermentation Methods

There are two types of culture methods for all microbial enzymes: submerged fermentation and solid state fermentation (SSF). In liquid fermentation, microorganisms grow in a liquid nutrient medium containing a high concentration of oxygen. Broth viscosity is a major issue associated with fungal fermentation in water. As fungal cells grow and mycelium is produced, this limitation of oxygen and mass transfer impedes the action of the impeller. SSF mimics the conditions under which fungi grow naturally, thus helping to produce enzymes using natural substrates such as agricultural residues. Since SSF has a relatively small amount of liquid, it is theoretically easier and cheaper to further process SSF. In the last decade, there is a growing interest in semi-self-sufficiency, with the recognition that many microorganisms, including genetically modified organisms (GMOs), can produce products more effectively through semi-self-sufficiency production. SSF has three main advantages. TThese include:

  •       high volume productivity: Continuous fermentation procedures have been developed in specially designed fermentors. There was a continual flow of feeding and output out of the fermentation. Waste or recycling streams may be eliminated in some situations via a high-productivity process. Several biological products likewise fall within this category.
  • Relatively high product concentration: This method was used to create the flowing generator with forced aeration as well as temperature regulation. Reaction occurs when the partly transformed solution gathers at the bottom.
  • Low wastewater production: An aerobic vertical flow biofilter was used to clean the wastewater created during the production of citric acid as well as feed yeast in a controlled environment. 36 degrees Celsius is the operating temperature of the fermenter.

In addition, the biosynthesis of microbial enzymes in the SmF process is economically important as it is strongly affected by catabolism and suppression of end products. The ability of SSF technology to use up to 20-30% of the board, as opposed to up to 5% of the SmF process, is documented.

Enzyme Production

The enzyme industry flourished in the 1980s and 1990s when microbial enzymes entered the market. By the 1970s, most of the enzymes used were traditionally from plant and animal sources, leading to low availability, high prices, and stunting of the enzyme industry. Microbial enzymes have proven to be economically advantageous, as microorganisms can be cultivated much easier and faster than plants and animals, and production organisms can be easily genetically engineered to produce the desired quality. With the help of recombinant DNA technology and protein engineering, enzymes can now be tailored to the needs of the user or process. You no longer have to be content with the natural properties of enzymes. Protein engineering, especially site-directed mutagenesis, yields are high-quality enzymes.

Conclusion

The use of enzymes in food production and processing has a long tradition. This tendency may be related to the biocompatibility of these catalysts, their selective properties, and their ability to function under mild conditions. Applications span a wide range of products and processes that may require different behavioural patterns and properties of the enzyme. In addition, strict regulations, public awareness and market trends put some pressure on the implementation of new or improved processes and the production of new products. Therefore, research and development with enzymes and enzyme technology have emerged as a promising alternative to keep up with this pace.

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What do microbial enzymes do?

Answer. Microbiological enzymes have traditionally been used in bioprocesses as biocatalysts, which are more expensi...Read full

Is microbial enzymes a preservative?

Answer. The enzyme and other metabolic products of the producing bacteria and preservatives such as additives and st...Read full

How important are enzymes in the food industry?

Answer.  Chemical reactions, in essence, rely on biological catalysts, such as those found in plants. The body need...Read full