Applications of Microbial Enzymes in Food Industry

Uporaba enzima i mikroorganizama za pripremu hrane poznata je od davnina. S napretkom tehnologije razvijeni su novi enzimi specifičnih svojstava i širokog raspona primjene, te se neprestano traga za novim mogućnostima njihove uporabe. Bakterije, kvasci i gljivice te njihovi enzimi često se upotrebljavaju za pripremu hrane poboljšanog okusa i teksture, a ekonomski su isplativi. Mikrobni enzimi se koriste u većoj mjeri nego biljni i životinjski enzimi, i to zbog jednostavnije i jeftinije proizvodnje te njihove postojane kvalitete. U ovom se revijalnom prikazu raspravlja o najnovijim postignućima u tehnologiji proizvodnje enzima u prehrambenoj industriji. Naveden je opsežan popis enzima koji se koriste za obradu hrane, mikroorganizama iz kojih su proizvedeni, te je dan pregled njihove raznovrsne primjene.The use of enzymes or microorganisms in food preparations is an age-old process. With the advancement of technology, novel enzymes with wide range of applications and specificity have been developed and new application areas are still being explored. Microorganisms such as bacteria, yeast and fungi and their enzymes are widely used in several food preparations for improving the taste and texture and they offer huge economic benefits to industries. Microbial enzymes are the preferred source to plants or animals due to several advantages such as easy, cost-effective and consistent production. The present review discusses the recent advancement in enzyme technology for food industries. A comprehensive list of enzymes used in food processing, the microbial source of these enzymes and the wide range of their application are discussed

Molecular advancements in the development of thermostable phytases

Since the discovery of phytic acid in 1903 and phytase in 1907, extensive research has been carried out in the field of phytases, the phytic acid degradatory enzymes. Apart from forming backbone enzyme in the multimillion dollar-based feed industry, phytases extend a multifaceted role in animal nutrition, industries, human physiology, and agriculture. The utilization of phytases in industries is not effectively achieved most often due to the loss of its activity at high temperatures. The growing demand of thermostable phytases with high residual activity could be addressed by the combinatorial use of efficient phytase sources, protein engineering techniques, heterologous expression hosts, or thermoprotective coatings. The progress in phytase research can contribute to its economized production with a simultaneous reduction of various environmental problems such as eutrophication, greenhouse gas emission, and global warming. In the current review, we address the recent advances in the field of various natural as well as recombinant thermotolerant phytases, their significance, and the factors contributing to their thermotolerance

Life Cycle, Bio-ecology and DNA Barcoding of mosquitoes Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus) and Aedes albopictus (Skuse)

Mosquito  borne  diseases  remain  as  the  world’s  most  severe  insect-borne  disease  with  excessive  rate  in  morbidity  and  mortality.    Mosquitoes  transmit  various  severe  diseases,  such  as  dengue,  malaria,  filariasis,  viral  encephalitis,  Japanese  encephalitis,  chickungunya  and  zika  virus  infection  causing  millions  of  deaths  worldwide;  and  no  part  of  the  world  is  liberated  from  mosquito  borne  diseases.    Aedes  aegypti  and  Aedes  albopictus  represent  the  two  important  mosquito  vectors  for  dengue  virus  transmission  in  America  and  Asia.    According  to  the  Integrated  Disease  Surveillance  Project  (ISDP),  8888  confirmed  dengue  infections  were  reported  from January 1st to June 30th  2017  in  Kerala  state,  India.    Of  which 409  confirmed  dengue  infections  were  reported  from  Thrissur  district  of  Kerala  including  Irinjalakuda  Municipality,  the  study  area.    In  addition,  15 confirmed and 56 suspected  dengue fever death were  also  reported  from  Kerala  state,  India .    Current  epidemics  of  dengue  and  severe  mosquito  borne  diseases  from  Kerala  have  exposed  the  need  for  more  comprehensive  understanding  of  the  mosquito  species  types,  their  vectorial  capacity,  and  the  habitat  characteristics  that  offer  them  for  proper  breeding  environment  in  the  study  area.    The  present  study  also  explored  the  applicability  of  COI-based  DNA  bar  coding  as  an  alternative  approach  to  identify  mosquito  species  such  as  A.  aegypti  and  A.  albopictus. 

Chapter 3: Enzyme Catalysis: A Workforce to Productivity of Textile Industry

Enzyme guided catalysis of biological reactions and their industrial synthesis is of great interest, accounting for less energy consumption, eco-friendly solutions and high substrate specificity provided by these proteins. The textile industry accounts for a major portion of the industrial enzymes in various steps of the desizing, bioscouring, biobleaching, stone washing and dyeing process. The current review focuses on providing the role of various enzymes utilised in the textile industry, their mechanism of action and microbial sources. Finally, the key strategies adapted to optimised production and increased yield of enzymes are also discussed

Conversion of food and kitchen waste to value-added products

Food and kitchen waste - omnipresent in every corner of the world serve as an excellent source of value added products owing to high organic content. Regardless of existence of various traditional methods of land filling or biogas production used to harness food waste energy, effective conversion of food to valuable resources is often challenged by its heterogenous nature and high moisture content. The current paper tries to lay down the prospects and consequences associated with food waste management. The various social, economical and environmental concerns associated with food waste management especially in terms of green house gas emission and extended rate of leachate generation also has been discussed. The difficulties in proper collection, storage and bioconversion of food waste to valuable by-products are pointed as a big hurdle in proper waste management. Finally, the wide array of value added products developed from food waste after pretreatment are also enlisted to emphasis the prospects of food waste management

Cleaner technologies to combat heavy metal toxicity

Heavy metals frequently occur as silent poisons present in our daily diet, the environment we live and the products we use, leaving us victims to various associated drastic health and ecological bad effects even in meagre quantities. The prevalence of heavy metals can be traced from children's toys, electronic goods, industrial effluents, pesticide preparation, and even in drinking water in some instances; necessitating methods to remediate them. The current review discusses the various physicochemical and biological methods employed to tackle the problem of heavy metal pollution. Apart from the conventional methods following the principles of adsorption, precipitation, coagulation, and various separation techniques, the advancements made in the directions of biological heavy metal detoxification using microbes, plants, algae have been critically analyzed to identify the specific utility of different agents for specific heavy metal removal. The review paper is a nutshell of different heavy metal remediation strategies, their merits, demerits, and modifications done to alleviate process of heavy metal pollution