Enzymatic Depilation of Animal Hide: Identification of Elastase (LasB) from Pseudomonas aeruginosa MCM B-327 as a Depilating Protease

Conventional leather processing involving depilation of animal hide by lime and sulphide treatment generates considerable amounts of chemical waste causing severe environmental pollution. Enzymatic depilation is an environmentally friendly process and has been considered to be a viable alternative to the chemical depilation process. We isolated an extracellular protease from Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain MCM B-327 with high depilation activity using buffalo hide as a substrate. This 33 kDa protease generated a peptide mass fingerprint and de novo sequence that matched perfectly with LasB (elastase), of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In support of this data a lasB mutant of MCM B-327 strain lacked depilatory activity and failed to produce LasB. LasB heterologously over-produced and purified from Escherichia coli also exhibited high depilating activity. Moreover, reintroduction of the lasB gene to the P. aeruginosa lasB mutant via a knock-in strategy also successfully restored depilation activity thus confirming the role of LasB as the depilating enzyme

Comparative functional potential of some plant materials in India

159-166Soluble dietary fibers are known to play an important role in maintaining health. These may have prebiotic activity and additionally their basic physico-chemical properties may contribute to their multifunctional health potential. Present study was planned with 30 plant materials grouped as fruits, vegetables, and other tuber crops using gum acacia as standard, being a known dietary fiber having prebiotic potential. The materials were studied for water holding capacity, cholesterol and bile salt binding activity, α-amylase inhibition and trypsin inhibition activity. Fifteen plant materials showed cholesterol binding capacity significantly higher than gum acacia by 0.7 to 86 %.Nineteen plant materials were found to have bile salt binding capacity (27-99 %) higher than gum acacia (24 %). Water holding capacity was observed in the range of 2.71 to 35.4 g/ g dry material for all the materials, while gum acacia had the least value of 0.82 g/ g dry weight. Sixteen materials showed α-amylase inhibition in the range of 9.99-95.0 % as compared to 9.65 % of gum acacia. Trypsin inhibition activity showed in the range of 49-98 %. This is the first report of multifunctional activities of plant materials with prebiotic potential. The results may help to develop prebiotic formulations having multifunctional potential for treatment of gastrointestinal disorders

Comparative functional potential of some plant materials in India

Soluble dietary fibers are known to play an important role in maintaining health. These may have prebiotic activity and additionally their basic physico-chemical properties may contribute to their multifunctional health potential. Present study was planned with 30 plant materials grouped as fruits, vegetables, and other tuber crops using gum acacia as standard, being a known dietary fiber having prebiotic potential. The materials were studied for water holding capacity, cholesterol and bile salt binding activity, α-amylase inhibition and trypsin inhibition activity. Fifteen plant materials showed cholesterol binding capacity significantly higher than gum acacia by 0.7 to 86 %.Nineteen plant materials were found to have bile salt binding capacity (27-99 %) higher than gum acacia (24 %). Water holding capacity was observed in the range of 2.71 to 35.4 g/ g dry material for all the materials, while gum acacia had the least value of 0.82 g/ g dry weight. Sixteen materials showed α-amylase inhibition in the range of 9.99-95.0 % as compared to 9.65 % of gum acacia. Trypsin inhibition activity showed in the range of 49-98 %. This is the first report of multifunctional activities of plant materials with prebiotic potential. The results may help to develop prebiotic formulations having multifunctional potential for treatment of gastrointestinal disorders