Maximization of fructooligosaccharides and β-fructofuranosidase production by Aspergillus japonicus under solid-state fermentation conditions

The conditions of temperature, moisture content, and inoculum rate able to maximize the production of fructooligosaccharides (FOS) and β-fructofuranosidase (FFase) enzyme by solid-state fermentation were established. Fermentation assays were performed using the support material (coffee silverskin) moistened to 60, 70, or 80 % with a 240-g/l sucrose solution and inoculated with a spore suspension of Aspergillus japonicus to obtain 2 × 10 5, 2 × 10 6, or 2 × 10 7 spores/gram dry material. The fermentation runs were maintained under static conditions at 26, 30, or 34 °C during 20 h. The moisture content did not influence the FOS and FFase production; however, temperature between 26 and 30 °C and inoculum rate of approximately 2 × 10 7 spores/gram dry material maximized the results (FOS = 208.8 g/l with productivity of 10.44 g/l h; FFase = 64.12 units U/ml with productivity of 4.0 U/ml h). These results are considerably higher than those obtained under no optimized fermentation conditions and represent an important contribution for the establishment of a new industrial process for FOS and FFase production.This work was supported by grant SFRH/BPD/38212/2007 from the FCT (Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology)

Biotechnological production and application of fructooligosaccharides

Currently, prebiotics are all carbohydrates of relatively short chain length. An important group is the fructooligosaccharides, which are a special kind of prebiotics associated to their selective stimulation of the activity of certain groups of colonic bacteria that have a positive and beneficial effect on intestinal microbiota, reducing incidence of gastrointestinal infections, respiratory and also possessing a recognized bifidogenic effect. Traditionally, these prebiotic compounds have been obtained through extraction processes from some plants, as well as through enzymatic hydrolysis of sucrose. However, different fermentative methods have also been proposed for the production of fructooligosaccharides, such as solid-state fermentation utilizing various agroindustrial by-products. By optimizing the culture parameters, fructooligosaccharides yields and productivity can be improved. The use of immobilized enzymes and cells has also been proposed as being an effective and economic method for large-scale production of fructooligosaccharides. This paper is an overview on the results of recent studies on fructooligosacharides biosynthesis, physicochemical properties, sources, biotechnological production and applications.The authors thank the National Council of Science and Technology of Mexico (CONACYT) for funding this study. D. A. Flores-Maltos thank the CONACYT for the financial support provided for her postgraduate studies in the Food Science and Technology Program, Universidad Autonoma de Coahuila, Mexico