Application of an α-galactosidase from Bacteroides fragilis on structural analysis of raffinose family oligosaccharides.

Raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFOs) have diverse structures and exhibit various biological activities. When using RFOs as prebiotics, their structures need to be identified. If we first knew whether an RFO was classical or non-classical, structural identification would become much easier. Here, we cloned and expressed an α-galactosidase (BF0224) from Bacteroides fragilis which showed strict specificity for hydrolyzing α-Gal-(1 â†’ 6)-Gal linkages in RFOs. BF0224 efficiently distinguished classical from non-classical RFOs by identifying the resulting hydrolyzed oligo- and mono-saccharides with HPAEC-PAD-MS. Using this strategy, we identified a non-classical RFO from Pseudostellaria heterophylla (Miquel) Pax with DP6 (termed PHO-6), as well as a classical RFO from Lycopus lucidus Turcz. with DP7 (termed LTO-7). To characterize these RFO structures, we employed four other commercial or reported α-galactosidases in combination with NMR and methylation analysis. Using this approach, we elucidated the accurate chemical structure of PHO-6 and LTO-7. Our study provides an efficient analytical approach to structurally analyze RFOs. This enzyme-based strategy also can be applied to structural analysis of other glycans.

Deuteration of non-labile protium in starch: Biosynthesis and characterisation from yeast-derived starch granules.

Deuterium labelling of the non-labile protium atoms in starch granules has been achieved for the first time, by growing genetically modified yeast on deuterated media. Mass spectrometry of the glucose monomers from digested starch showed 44 % average deuteration of the non-labile protium when grown on partially deuterated raffinose (with average deuteration 48 %); yielding starch with 26 % average overall deuteration. Non-labile deuteration was also demonstrated using D2O solvent in the culture medium. Solid-state NMR revealed that deuteration was not evenly distributed across the monomer, being highest at the C6 carbon and lowest at the C1 carbon. SANS revealed two structural features at q = 0.05 Å-1 and 0.4 Å-1, the first corresponding to a lamellar repeat of approximately 12-13 nm while the latter is consistent with B-type crystalline polymer packing. Furthermore, solvent contrast variation SANS analysis yielded a contrast match point of 66 mol% D2O indicative of approximately 30-35 % average deuteration of the bulk granules, consistent with mass spectroscopy. When coupled with the more traditional process of exchange of labile protium in the hydroxyl groups by D2O solvent exchange, the biosynthesis of highly deuterated starch opens new opportunities for neutron scattering experiments involving multicomponent starch-based systems.

Reduction of antinutrients and off-flavour in kidney bean flour by acidic and alkaline reactive extrusion.

The presence of antinutrients and undesirable flavours in kidney bean flour poses challenges to consumer acceptance. Although extrusion can mitigate antinutrients to some extent, its impact on reducing beany flavour in bean flour remains underexplored. This study investigated the effects of injecting acetic acid or sodium carbonate solutions at three concentration levels (0.05, 0.1, 0.15 mol/L), in conjunction with three temperature profiles (40/60/80/80/90, 40/60/80/90/110, 50/70/90/110/130 °C) and two feed moisture levels (25, 30 %), on the removal of antinutrients (condensed tannins, trypsin inhibitor activity, phytic acid, raffinose family oligosaccharides) and reduction of volatile compounds that contribute to beany flavour in whole kidney bean flour. The results showed that all concentrations of acetic acid and sodium carbonate solutions effectively reduced condensed tannins compared to water, especially at 130 °C extrusion temperature. Introducing acetic acid and sodium carbonate solutions at a concentration of 0.15 mol/L led to 72 and 90 % reduction of total raffinose family oligosaccharide content, respectively, in contrast to the 17 % reduction observed with water alone. The incorporation of sodium carbonate solution reduced the total volatile compounds by 45-58 % as compared with water (23-33 %) and acetic acid (11-27 %). This reduction was primarily due to the reduction of aldehydes, alcohols, and aromatic hydrocarbons. These results indicate that injecting sodium carbonate solution during extrusion can effectively reduce antinutrients and beany flavour compounds in kidney bean flour.

Evaluation of the Impact of an Enzymatic Preparation Catalyzing the Decomposition of Raffinose from Poor-Quality Beets during the White Sugar Production Process.

The study investigates the efficacy of an enzymatic preparation primarily with α-galactosidase activity for improving the quality of white sugar from poor-quality sugar beets. Focused on overcoming raffinose accumulation challenges in sugar beets, especially those harvested prematurely or stored for extended periods, an innovative exploration of enzymatic application in an industrial setting for the first time was conducted. By integrating theoretical calculations and experimental data, the findings reveal that α-galactosidase preparation notably diminishes raffinose content in beet juice, thus enhancing the sucrose yield and overall sugar quality. A reliable method to process lower-quality beets, promising enhanced efficiency in sugar production, was presented. The study also highlights the economic benefits of incorporating enzyme preparation into the production process, demonstrating a notable return on investment and underscoring the potential of enzymatic treatments to address industry challenges.

Hydrolysis and diffusion of raffinose oligosaccharides family products in chickpeas, lentils, and beans under different pH and temperature steeping conditions.

Soaking pulses in water is a traditional practice widely used both by many households and by the food industry, and depending on the specific conditions used, can effectively reduce α-galactosides. Monitoring changes in α-galactoside content in pulses under different steeping conditions can provide insights into the degradation mechanisms and help overcome the barrier to consumption caused by digestive problems. In this study, we analyzed the impact of steeping at different temperatures (30, 45, 60, 75, and 90 °C) and at different pH (4.0, 5.0, and 6.0) on α-galactosides content in chickpeas, lentils, and beans. Our results showed that the lower the pH, the faster the α-galactosides were reduced. Moreover, steeping at lower temperatures (30 °C and 45 °C) favored hydrolysis of α-galactosides, whereas steeping at higher temperatures (60, 75, and 90 °C) favored diffusion. Soaking at 45 °C at a pH of 4.0 for 3 h resulted in acceptable levels of α-galactosides (less than 1 g/100 g), i.e. a reduction of up to 65 % in chickpeas, 85 % in lentils, and 52 % in beans.

Dual cross-linked self-healing hydrogel enhanced by dopamine nanoparticles and raffinose for wound healing.

A series of intricate and dynamic physiological healing processes are involved in the healing of skin wounds. Herein, a multifunctional hydrogel is firstly designed and constructed by L-arginine-grafted O-carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCA), catechol-modified oxidized hyaluronic acid (DOHA), and dopamine nanoparticles (pDA-NPs). pDA-NPs were loaded in hydrogel for inherently powerful antimicrobial properties and could be as a cross-linking agent to construct hydrogels. Raffinose (Raf) was further incorporated to obtain CMCA-DOHA-pDA2@Raf hydrogel for its function of modulating epidermal differentiation. The hydrogel has good physicochemical properties and could promote cell proliferation and migration, which shows superior hemostatic capabilities in animal models of hemorrhage. The hydrogel significantly promoted wound healing on rat skin defect models by upregulating VEGF and CD31 and decreasing IL-6 and TNF-α, stimulating neovascularization and collagen deposition in epithelial structures. This multifunctional hydrogel implies the potential to be a dynamic wound dressing.

Isolation and structural elucidation of prebiotic oligosaccharides from Ziziphi Spinosae Semen.

Six oligosaccharides were discovered and isolated for the first time from Ziziphi Spinosae Semen. On the basis of spectroscopic analysis, their structures were determined to be verbascose (1), verbascotetraose (2), stachyose (3), manninotriose (4), raffinose (5), and melibiose (6). The prebiotic effect of the oligosaccharide fraction was assayed by eight gut bacterial growth in vitro, revealing a significant increase in cell density, up to 4-fold, for Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus gasseri, and Lactobacillus johnsonii. The impact of six oligosaccharides with different degrees of polymerization (DPs) and structures on the growth of Lactobacillus acidophilus was evaluated. As a result, stachyose and raffinose demonstrated superior support for bacterial growth compared to the other oligosaccharides. This study explored the structure-activity relationship of raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFOs) and showed that the more the monosaccharide type, the more supportive the gut bacteria growth when oligosaccharides have the same molecular weight.

Immobilization of α-galactosidase in polyvinyl alcohol-chitosan-glycidyl methacrylate hydrogels based on directional freezing-assisted salting-out strategy for hydrolysis of RFOs.

Raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFOs) in food are the main factors causing flatulence in Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) patients and the development of effective approaches for reducing food-derived RFOs is of paramount importance. In this study, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-chitosan (CS)-glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) immobilized α-galactosidase was prepared by the directional freezing-assisted salting-out technique, aimed to hydrolyze RFOs. SEM, FTIR, XPS, fluorescence and UV characterization results demonstrated that α-galactosidase was successfully cross-linked in the PVA-CS-GMA hydrogels, forming a distinct porous stable network through the covalent bond between the enzyme and the carrier. Mechanical performance and swelling capacity analysis illustrated that α-gal @ PVA-CS-GMA not only had suitable strength and toughness for longer durability, but also exhibited high water content and swelling capacity for better retention of catalytic activity. The enzymatic properties of α-gal @ PVA-CS-GMA showed an improved Km value, pH and temperature tolerance range, anti-enzymatic inhibitor (melibiose) activity compared to the free α-galactosidase and its reusability was at least 12 times with prolonged storage stability. Finally, it was successfully applied in the hydrolysis of RFOs in soybeans. These findings provide a new strategy for the development of α-galactosidase immobilization system to biological transform the RFOs components in the food for diet intervention of IBS.

Structural insight into the hydrolase and synthase activities of an alkaline α-galactosidase from Arabidopsis from complexes with substrate/product.

The alkaline α-galactosidase AtAkαGal3 from Arabidopsis thaliana catalyzes the hydrolysis of α-D-galactose from galacto-oligosaccharides under alkaline conditions. A phylogenetic analysis based on sequence alignment classifies AtAkαGal3 as more closely related to the raffinose family of oligosaccharide (RFO) synthases than to the acidic α-galactosidases. Here, thin-layer chromatography is used to demonstrate that AtAkαGal3 exhibits a dual function and is capable of synthesizing stachyose using raffinose, instead of galactinol, as the galactose donor. Crystal structures of complexes of AtAkαGal3 and its D383A mutant with various substrates and products, including galactose, galactinol, raffinose, stachyose and sucrose, are reported as the first representative structures of an alkaline α-galactosidase. The structure of AtAkαGal3 comprises three domains: an N-terminal domain with 13 antiparallel ß-strands, a catalytic domain with an (α/ß)8-barrel fold and a C-terminal domain composed of ß-sheets that form two Greek-key motifs. The WW box of the N-terminal domain, which comprises the conserved residues FRSK75XW77W78 in the RFO synthases, contributes Trp77 and Trp78 to the +1 subsite to contribute to the substrate-binding ability together with the (α/ß)8 barrel of the catalytic domain. The C-terminal domain is presumably involved in structural stability. Structures of the D383A mutant in complex with various substrates and products, especially the natural substrate/product stachyose, reveal four complete subsites (-1 to +3) at the catalytic site. A functional loop (residues 329-352) that exists in the alkaline α-galactosidase AtAkαGal3 and possibly in RFO synthases, but not in acidic α-galactosidases, stabilizes the stachyose at the +2 and +3 subsites and extends the catalytic pocket for the transferase mechanism. Considering the similarities in amino-acid sequence, catalytic domain and activity between alkaline α-galactosidases and RFO synthases, the structure of AtAkαGal3 might also serve a model for the study of RFO synthases, structures of which are lacking.

Carboxylated Poly-l-Lysine as a Macromolecular Cryoprotective Agent Enables the Development of Defined and Xeno-Free Human Sperm Cryopreservation Reagents.

In human sperm cryopreservation, test yolk buffer and human serum albumin have been used as permeating macromolecular-weight cryoprotectants. In clinical reproductive medicine, human serum albumin is frequently used because of low risks of zoonoses and allergic reactions. However, the risk of allogeneic infectious diseases exists, and the supply may be unstable because human serum albumin is derived from human blood. Therefore, the development of xeno-free human sperm cryopreservative reagents that could overcome the aforementioned problems is warranted. We succeeded in developing a new xeno-free and defined sperm cryopreservation reagent containing glycerol, carboxylated poly-l-lysine, and raffinose. The cryopreservation reagent was not significantly different in terms of sperm motility, viability, and DNA fragmentation and was comparable in performance to a commercial cryopreservation reagent containing human serum albumin. Moreover, the addition of saccharides was essential for its long-term storage. These results may help elucidate the unknown function of macromolecular-weight permeating cryoprotective agents.

"Water Association" Band in Saccharide Amorphous Matrices: Role of Residual Water on Bioprotection.

Saccharides protect biostructures against adverse environmental conditions mainly by preventing large scale motions leading to unfolding. The efficiency of this molecular mechanism, which is higher in trehalose with respect to other sugars, strongly depends on hydration and sugar/protein ratio. Here we report an Infrared Spectroscopy study on dry amorphous matrices of the disaccharides trehalose, maltose, sucrose and lactose, and the trisaccharide raffinose. Samples with and without embedded protein (Myoglobin) are investigated at different sugar/protein ratios, and compared. To inspect matrix properties we analyse the Water Association Band (WAB), and carefully decompose it into sub-bands, since their relative population has been shown to effectively probe water structure and dynamics in different matrices. In this work the analysis is extended to investigate the structure of protein-sugar-water samples, for the first time. Results show that several classes of water molecules can be identified in the protein and sugar environment and that their relative population is dependent on the type of sugar and, most important, on the sugar/protein ratio. This gives relevant information on how the molecular interplay between residual waters, sugar and protein molecules affect the biopreserving properties of saccharides matrices.

Investigating the Product Profiles and Structural Relationships of New Levansucrases with Conventional and Non-Conventional Substrates.

The synthesis of complex oligosaccharides is desired for their potential as prebiotics, and their role in the pharmaceutical and food industry. Levansucrase (LS, EC 2.4.1.10), a fructosyl-transferase, can catalyze the synthesis of these compounds. LS acquires a fructosyl residue from a donor molecule and performs a non-Lenoir transfer to an acceptor molecule, via ß-(2→6)-glycosidic linkages. Genome mining was used to uncover new LS enzymes with increased transfructosylating activity and wider acceptor promiscuity, with an initial screening revealing five LS enzymes. The product profiles and activities of these enzymes were examined after their incubation with sucrose. Alternate acceptor molecules were also incubated with the enzymes to study their consumption. LSs from Gluconobacter oxydans and Novosphingobium aromaticivorans synthesized fructooligosaccharides (FOSs) with up to 13 units in length. Alignment of their amino acid sequences and substrate docking with homology models identified structural elements causing differences in their product spectra. Raffinose, over sucrose, was the preferred donor molecule for the LS from Vibrio natriegens, N. aromaticivorans, and Paraburkolderia graminis. The LSs examined were found to have wide acceptor promiscuity, utilizing monosaccharides, disaccharides, and two alcohols to a high degree.

3D-printed chitosan scaffolds modified with D-(+) raffinose and enriched with type IV collagen to improve epithelial cell colonization.

Tissue regeneration often requires the use of biocompatible resorbable scaffolds to support the ingrowth of cells from neighboring tissues into a localized tissue defect. Such scaffolds must possess surface molecular cues that stimulate cells to populate the device, the first necessary condition for the formation of a healthy tissue. Chitosan is a natural polymer that has long been tested in biomedical applications because of its high biocompatibility, which can be further increased by modifying its formulation, e.g. adding D-(+) raffinose. We used this formulation in an ad hoc designed 3D printer to create regularly ordered scaffolds, which we then enriched with type IV collagen, an isoform of collagen that is exclusively found in basement membranes. Human epithelial A549 cells were then seeded on control scaffolds or on scaffolds coated with collagen, which was precipitated, or on scaffolds first collagenized and then exposed to either UVB or UVC radiation. Observations by the transmission light microscope, confocal microscope after staining with calcein-AM/propidium iodide, and by environmental scanning electron microscope revealed that collagen-enriched UV-treated scaffolds promoted the attachment of a higher number of cells, which covered a more extensive area of the scaffold, as also confirmed by alamar blue viability assay. Together these data confirm that coating 3D-printed scaffolds made of D-(+) raffinose-modified chitosan with type IV collagen and exposing them to UV light sensibly increases the cell compatibility of scaffolds, making them a better candidate to serve as a tool for the regeneration of epithelia.

Good hydrolysis activity on raffinose family oligosaccharides by a novel α-galactosidase from Tremella aurantialba.

An α-galactosidase designated as TAG was purified from the dried fruit bodies of Tremella aurantialba with 182.5-fold purification. The purification procedure involved ion exchange chromatography on Q-sepharose, DEAE-Cellulose, and Mono Q and gel filtration by FPLC on Superdex 75. The purified α-galactosidase was a monomeric protein with a molecular mass of 88 kDa. The optimal pH of TAG was 5.0 and more than 60% of the original enzyme activity remained at pH 2.0 and 3.0. Its optimal temperature was 54 °C with good thermo-stability, 30.8% of the original activity was retained after exposure to a temperature of 70 °C for 1 h. The metal ions Hg2+, Cu2+, Fe3+ and Mg2+ strongly inhibited the enzyme activity. The enzyme activity was found to be inhibited by N-bromosuccinimide indicating that tryptophan was essential to the catalytic activity of α-galactosidase. The enzyme completely hydrolysed stachyose and partially hydrolysed raffinose to galactose at 50 °C within 6 h as detected by thin layer chromatography and the dinitrosalicylic acid method and the content of reducing sugar reached 4.36 mg/mL.

A comprehensive study on levan nanoparticles formation: Kinetics and self-assembly modeling.

Levan nanoparticles formation is a complicated phenomenon involving simultaneously polymeric reaction kinetics and nanoparticles self-assembly theory. These phenomena are studied in this work with experimental and computational methodologies. Specifically, the effect of different parameters on levan kinetics and nanoparticles production in a cell-free system environment have been studied. Results point out that 37 °C is the best temperature for synthesizing levan as well as the existence of a substrate inhibition effect for polymeric reaction. This work also highlights that raffinose can be used for producing and that an increase on the ratio enzyme-substrate increases the velocity of conversion. However, the previous experimental conditions did not produce an important effect on self-assembly formed levan nanoparticles (always 110 nm) as long as the required levan concentration (CAC) for nanoparticles reorganization is achieved. To have a better understanding of these results, a model was developed to explain numerically levan kinetics and nanoparticle self-assembly. This model was built by taking into account enzyme poisoning effect (also demonstrated experimentally) and a diffusion limited cluster model for the aggregation phenomenon. Simulation results fit properly experimental data and catalytic parameters as well as predicting accurately the value of CAC for producing its reorganization into nanoparticles by self-assembly.

Impact of human-derived hemoglobin based oxygen vesicles as a machine perfusion solution for liver donation after cardiac death in a pig model.

The recent clinical application of perfusion technology for the machine preservation of donation after cardiac death (DCD) grafts has some advantages. Oxygenation has been proposed for the preservation of DCD liver grafts. The aim of this study is to clarify whether the use of HbV-containing preservation solution during the subnormothermic machine perfusion (SNMP) of the liver graft improves the graft function of DCD porcine livers in an ex vivo reperfusion model. Pig livers were excised after 60 minutes of warm ischemic time and were preserved under one of three preservation conditions for 4 hours. The preservation conditions were as follows: 4°C cold storage (CS group; N = 5), Hypothermic machine preservation (HMP) with UW gluconate solution (HMP group; N = 5), SNMP (21°C) with UW gluconate solution (SNMP group; N = 5), SNMP (21°C) with HbVs (Hb; 1.8 mg/dl) perfusate (SNMP+HbV group; N = 5). Autologous blood perfusion was performed for 2 hours in an isolated liver reperfusion model (IRM). The oxygen consumption of the SNMP and SNMP+HbV group was higher than the HMP groups (p < 0.05). During the reperfusion, the AST level in the SNMP+HbV group was lower than that in the CS, HMP and SNMP groups. The changes in pH after reperfusion was significantly lower in SNMP+HbV group than CS and HMP groups. The ultrastructural findings indicated that the mitochondria of the SNMP+HbV group was well maintained in comparison to the CS, HMP and SNMP groups. The SNMP+HbVs preservation solution protected against metabolic acidosis and preserved the liver function after reperfusion injury in the DCD liver.

Fatty acid ester surfactants derived from raffinose: Synthesis, characterization and structure-property profiles.

HYPOTHESIS: The development of functional and nutritional surfactants for the food industry remains a subject of great interest. Herein, therefore, we report on the design and synthesis of novel trisaccharide (raffinose) monoester-based surfactants in the expectation that they would display functional properties superior to certain disaccharide-based, commercially-deployed emulsifiers and thus have potential for industrial applications. EXPERIMENTS: The title esters were prepared by enzymatic methods and their properties as surfactants evaluated through determination of their HLB values, water solubilities, CMCs, foamabilities and foaming stabilities as well as through investigation of their impacts on the stability of oil-in-water emulsions over a range of storage times and under certain other conditions. FINDINGS: The emulsifying properties of 6-O-acylraffinose esters are dictated, in large part, by the length of the associated alkyl chains. The results of storage and environmental stress experiments revealed that the increasing length of alkyl chains enhances the stability of the derived emulsions. All the raffinose ester-stabilized oil-in-water emulsions displayed stratification effects under strongly acidic conditions (pH ≤ 4) or at high ionic strength (≥300 mM) while possessing reasonable resistance to variations in temperature. As such, a number of the raffinose monoesters showed greater stability to environmental stress than their commercially-deployed and sucrose-based counterparts. The structure-property profiles established through the present study provide a definitive guide for the development of raffinose esters as novel emulsifiers, particularly in the food industry.

Production of Galactose Oxidase Inside the Fusarium fujikuroi Species Complex and Recombinant Expression and Characterization of the Galactose Oxidase GaoA Protein from Fusarium subglutinans.

Galactose oxidase catalyzes a two-electron oxidation, mainly from the C6 hydroxyl group of D-galactose, with the concomitant reduction of water to hydrogen peroxide. This enzyme is secreted by Fusarium species and has several biotechnological applications. In this study, a screening of galactose oxidase production among species of the Fusarium fujikuroi species complex demonstrated Fusarium subglutinans to be the main producer. The truncated F. subglutinans gaoA gene coding for the mature galactose oxidase was expressed from the prokaryotic vector pTrcHis2B in the E. coli Rosetta™ (DE3) strain. The purified recombinant enzyme presented temperature and pH optima of 30 °C and 7.0, respectively, KM of 132.6 ± 18.18 mM, Vmax of 3.2 ± 0.18 µmol of H2O2/min, kcat of 12,243 s-1, and a catalytic efficiency (kcat/KM) of 9.2 × 104 M-1 s-1. In the presence of 50% glycerol, the enzyme showed a T50 of 59.77 °C and was stable for several hours at pH 8.0 and 4 °C. Besides D-(+)-galactose, the purified enzyme also acted against D-(+)-raffinose, α-D-(+)-melibiose, and methyl-α-D-galactopyranoside, and was strongly inhibited by SDS. Although the F. subglutinans gaoA gene was successfully expressed in E. coli, its endogenous transcription was not confirmed by RT-PCR.

A family AA5_2 carbohydrate oxidase from Penicillium rubens displays functional overlap across the AA5 family.

Copper radical alcohol oxidases belonging to auxiliary activity family 5, subfamily 2 (AA5_2) catalyze the oxidation of galactose and galactosides, as well as aliphatic alcohols. Despite their broad applied potential, so far very few AA5_2 members have been biochemically characterized. We report the recombinant production and biochemical characterization of an AA5_2 oxidase from Penicillium rubens Wisconsin 54-1255 (PruAA5_2A), which groups within an unmapped clade phylogenetically distant from those comprising AA5_2 members characterized to date. PruAA5_2 preferentially oxidized raffinose over galactose; however, its catalytic efficiency was 6.5 times higher on glycolaldehyde dimer compared to raffinose. Deep sequence analysis of characterized AA5_2 members highlighted amino acid pairs correlated to substrate range and conserved within the family. Moreover, PruAA5_2 activity spans substrate preferences previously reported for AA5 subfamily 1 and 2 members, identifying possible functional overlap across the AA5 family.

Characterization of a high performance α-galactosidase from Irpex lacteus and its usage in removal of raffinose family oligosaccharides from soymilk.

Raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFOs) negatively affect nutritional value of legume-derived food and feed. It has been challenging to develop a high performance α-galactosidase excelled on catalytic efficiency, thermostability, pH stability and protease-resistance that could efficiently hydrolyze RFOs. In this study, the first GH family 27 α-galactosidase gene from Irpex lacteus was cloned. The gene had an open reading frame of 1314 bp interrupted by 12 introns. The recombinant α-galactosidase expressed in Pichia pastoris (rILgalA) had an apparent molecular mass of 64 kDa and was highly N-glycosylated. rILgalA was maximally active at pH 4.8 and 70 °C. It was stable over a broad pH range of 3-11, retained 90% of its activity after incubation at 60 °C for 10 h and exhibited strong resistance to digestive proteases. Unlike many other α-galactosidases, rILgalA was hyperactive on RFOs. Its specific activities toward melibiose, raffinose and stachyose were 644, 755 and 833 U mg-1, respectively. The corresponding Kcat/Km values were 120, 130 and 180 mM-1 s-1, which were the highest among reported α-galactosidases. rILgalA almost completely hydrolyzed raffinose and stachyose in soymilk at 60 °C in 30 min. These superior properties would make rILgalA an ideal remover of RFOs in food and feed industries.