Purification and functional properties of a novel glucoamylase activated by manganese and lead produced by Aspergillus japonicus.

Microbial amylases are used to produce ethanol, glucose and can be applied in textiles products, detergents and other industries. This study aimed to determine the best carbon source concentration to induce the amylase production by A. japonicus, and its purification and biochemical characterization. For that, this fungus was cultivated in Khanna medium, pH 5.5, for 4 days, at 25°C, in static condition, supplemented with potato starch and maltose in different concentrations. The fungal crude enzymatic extract was purified in a unique elution in DEAE-cellulose column and the molecular mass was determined as 72kDa. The optimum temperature and pH was 65°C and 5.0, respectively. Amylase remained 75% of its activity after one hour at 50°C and was stable in the pH range 3.0-7.0. The analysis of the end-products by thin layer chromatography showed only glucose formation, which characterizes the purified enzyme as a glucoamylase. Amylopectin was the best substrate for the enzyme assay and Mn+2 and Pb+2 were good glucoamylase activators. This activation, in addition to the biochemical characteristics are important results for future biotechnological applications of this glucoamylase in the recycling and deinking process by the paper industries.

Biochemical effect of a histidine phosphatase acid (phytase) of Aspergillus japonicus var. Saito on performance and bony characteristics of broiler.

Phytases are enzymes that hydrolyze the ester linkage of phytic acid, releasing inositol and inorganic phosphate. The phytic acid (phytate) is a major form of phosphorus in plant foods. Knowing that diet for animal of production has the cereal base (corn and soybean), primarily, broilers need for an alternative to use of the phosphate present in these ingredients, since it does not naturally produce the enzyme phytase, which makes it available. The aims of this work was studding the safe supplementation of Aspergillus japonicus var. Saito crude phytase in feeding broilers and check the biochemical effect on performance and bones of these animals. The enzymatic extract did not have aflatoxins B1, B2, G2 and G1 and zearalenone and ochratoxin, and low concentrations of this extract did not have cytotoxic effects on cells derived from lung tissue. The in vivo experiments showed that the phytase supplied the available phosphate reduction in the broiler feed formulation, with a live weight, weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion, viability, productive efficiency index and carcass yield similar to the control test. Furthermore, the phytase supplementation favored the formation of bone structure and performance of the broilers. The results show the high biotechnological potential of A. japonicus phytase on broiler food supplementation to reduce phosphorus addition in the food formulation. So, this enzyme could be used as a commercial alternative to animal diet supplementation.

Phytase production by Rhizopus microsporus var. microsporus biofilm: characterization of enzymatic activity after spray drying in presence of carbohydrates and nonconventional adjuvants.

Microbial phytases are enzymes with biotechnological interest for the feed industry. In this article, the effect of spray-drying conditions on the stability and activity of extracellular phytase produced by R. microsporus var. microsporus biofilm is described. The phytase was spray-dried in the presence of starch, corn meal (>150 µm), soy bean meal (SB), corn meal (<150 µm) (CM), and maltodextrin as drying adjuvants. The residual enzyme activity after drying ranged from 10.7% to 60.4%, with SB and CM standing out as stabilizing agents. Water concentration and residual enzyme activity were determined in obtained powders as a function of the drying condition. When exposed to different pH values, the SB and CM products were stable, with residual activity above 50% in the pH range from 4.5 to 8.5 for 60 min. The use of CM as drying adjuvant promoted the best retention of enzymatic activity compared with SB. Spray drying of the R. microsporus var. microsporus phytase using different drying adjuvants showed interesting results, being quite feasible with regards their biotechnological applications, especially for poultry diets.

Purification and partial characterization of an exo-polygalacturonase from Paecilomyces variotii liquid cultures.

An extracellular polygalacturonase (PG) produced from Paecilomyces variotii was purified to homogeneity through two chromatography steps using DEAE-Fractogel and Sephadex G-100. The molecular weight of P. variotii PG was 77,300 Da by gel filtration and SDS-PAGE. PG had isoelectric point of 4.37 and optimum pH 4.0. PG was very stable from pH 3.0 to 6.0. The extent of hydrolysis of different pectins by the purified enzyme was decreased with an increase in the degree of esterification. PG had no activity toward non-pectic polysaccharides. The apparent K(m) and V(max) values for hydrolyzing sodium polypectate were 1.84 mg/mL and 432 micromol/min/mg, respectively. PG was found to have temperature optimum at 65 degrees Celsius and was totally stable at 45 degrees Celsius for 90 min. Half-life at 55 degrees Celsius was 50.6 min. Almost all the examined metal cations showed partial inhibitory effects under enzymatic activity, except for Na(+1), K(+1), and Co(+2) (1 mM) and Cu(+2) (1 and 10 mM).