Isolation and screening of l-asparaginase free of glutaminase and urease from fungal sp.

l-Asparaginase is a chemotherapeutic drug used in the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), a malignant disorder in children. l-Asparaginase helps in removing acrylamide found in fried and baked foods that is carcinogenic in nature. l-Asparaginase is present in plants, animals and microbes. Various microorganisms such as bacteria, yeast and fungi are generally used for the production of l-asparaginase as it is difficult to obtain the same from plants and animals. l-Asparaginase from bacteria causes anaphylaxis and other abnormal sensitive reactions due to low specificity to asparagine. Toxicity and repression caused by bacterial l-asparaginase shifted focus to eukaryotic microorganisms such as fungi to improve the efficacy of l-asparaginase. Clinically available l-asparaginase has glutaminase and urease that may lead to side effects during treatment of ALL. Current work tested 45 fungal strains isolated from soil and agricultural residues. Isolated fungi were tested using conventional plate assay method with two indicator dyes, phenol red and bromothymol blue (BTB), and results were compared. l-Asparaginase activity was measured by cultivating in modified Czapek–Dox medium. Four strains have shown positive result for l-asparaginase production with no urease or glutaminase activity, among these C7 has high enzyme index of 1.57 and l-asparaginase activity of 33.59 U/mL. l-Asparaginase production by C7 was higher with glucose as carbon source and asparagine as nitrogen source. This is the first report focussing on fungi that can synthesize l-asparaginase of the desired specificity. Since the clinical toxicity of l-asparaginase is attributed to glutaminase and urease activity, available evidence indicates variants negative for glutaminase and urease would provide higher therapeutic index than variants positive for glutaminase and urease

Moringa Oleifera: A Review on Nutritive Importance and its Medicinal Application

Moringa Oleifera, native to India, grows in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. It is commonly known as ‘drumstick tree’ or ‘horseradish tree’. Moringa can withstand both severe drought and mild frost conditions and hence widely cultivated across the world. With its high nutritive values, every part of the tree is suitable for either nutritional or commercial purposes. The leaves are rich in minerals, vitamins and other essential phytochemicals. Extracts from the leaves are used to treat malnutrition, augment breast milk in lactating mothers. It is used as potential antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic and antimicrobial agent. Moringa Oleifera seed, a natural coagulant is extensively used in water treatment. The scientific effort of this research provides insights on the use of moringa as a cure for diabetes and cancer and fortification of moringa in commercial products. This review explores the use of moringa across disciplines for its medicinal value and deals with cultivation, nutrition, commercial and prominent pharmacological properties of this “Miracle Tree”

IIT Hyderabad Researchers Find Antarctic Fungi That Could Help In Treating Leukemia

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad researchers working with scientists from National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Goa, have isolated Antarctic fungi that contain L-Asparaginase, an enzyme-based chemotherapeutic agent used to treat Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. The isolation of L-asparaginase containing fungi from extreme environments could lead to development of new chemotherapeutic treatment methods that have fewer side effects than the existing methods, said a statement from the Institute

Solid-State Fermentation vs Submerged Fermentation for the Production of l-Asparaginase

l-Asparaginase, an enzyme that catalyzes l-asparagine into aspartic acid and ammonia, has relevant applications in the pharmaceutical and food industry. So, this enzyme is used in the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a malignant disorder in children. This enzyme is also able to reduce the amount of acrylamide found in carbohydrate-rich fried and baked foods which is carcinogenic to humans. The concentration of acrylamide in food can be reduced by deamination of asparagine using l-Asparaginase. l-Asparaginase is present in plants, animals, and microbes. Various microorganisms such as bacteria, yeast, and fungi are generally used for the production of l-Asparaginase as it is difficult to obtain the same from plants and animals. l-Asparaginase from bacteria causes anaphylaxis and other abnormal sensitive reactions. To overcome this, eukaryotic organisms such as fungi can be used for the production of l-Asparaginase. l-Asparaginase can be produced either by solid-state fermentation (SSF) or by submerged fermentation (SmF). SSF is preferred over SmF as it is cost effective, eco-friendly and it delivers high yield of enzyme. SSF process utilizes agricultural and industrial wastes as solid substrate. The contamination level is substantially reduced in SSF through low moisture content. Current chapter will discuss in detail the chemistry and applications of l-Asparaginase enzyme and various methods available for the production of the enzyme, especially focusing on the advantages and limitations of SSF and SmF processes

Design of Solid State Bioreactor for Industrial Applications: An Overview to Conventional Bioreactors

Industrial Fermentation is the process that has been used in the production of a variety of bio-products that have a broad area of applications. Among the processes, the Solid State Fermentation (SSF) is vital, and its utilization has been growing every day. It is used in many industries including fertilizers, pharma, and food, where it has gained its importance as a substitute for the Submerged Fermentation (SmF). One primary application of SSF is in the production of enzymes that can be used for therapeutic purposes, whose yield is low and cost is higher in case of conventional methods. The major advantage of using SSF is the fact that raw materials for this process are obtained from agricultural wastes and to an extent some industrially produced wastes can be utilized. The usage of SSF is limited because of its inability to be used in large-scale production and in the extraction of the required products. The primary requirement is to overcome any difficulties that are associated with the currently used industrial bioreactors. Important factors that have to be considered is that every reactor has its own significance, and they can give a much better result when compared to other bioreactors; an extensive study has to be done to determine which bioreactors have a better capability on any particular enzyme. The main aim of this review is to study the limitations (e.g. heat transfer) of the conventional bioreactors that are available and how to overcome these limitations shall be addressed in the review