Biotransformation effects on anti lipogenic activity of citrus extracts.

Citrus peel is a good source of flavonoids, with higher content in relation to pulp. This study proposed to investigate the anti-lipogenic potential of a newly developed citrus flavonoids extract, obtained from citrus industrial residue, bioprocessed in order to generate a commercial source of some flavonoids naturally found in low quantity. The results showed that the citrus peel extract obtained after biotransformation was a good source of hesperitin and naringenin, flavonoids that has no source for production on a large scale, as in supplements or medicines. Still, the results showed that all extracts could be used in obesity treatment. The original extract, "In Natura", would be useful to reduce new adipocytes synthesis and lipid accumulation, and the extract bioprocessed, "Biotransformed" extract could be used to induce lipolysis on fat tissue.

A new process for simultaneous production of tannase and phytase by Paecilomyces variotii in solid-state fermentation of orange pomace.

The production of enzymes such as tannases and phytases by solid-state fermentation and their use in animal feed have become a subject of great interest. In the present work, Paecilomyces variotii was used to produce tannase and phytase simultaneously. Solid-state fermentation, a process initially designed for tannase production, was implemented here using orange pomace as substrate. Orange pomace is the waste product of the large orange juice industry in Brazil, and it has also been used as an ingredient in animal feed. In addition to enzymatic production, biotransformation of the phenolic content and antioxidant capacity of the orange pomace were analyzed after fermentation. Fermentation conditions, namely moisture level and tannic acid concentration rate, were studied using CCD methodology. The response surface obtained indicated that the highest tannase activity was 5,000 U/gds after 96 h at 59% (v/w) and 3% (w/w) and that of phytase was 350 U/gds after 72 h at 66% (v/w) and 5.8% (w/w) of moisture level and tannic acid concentration, respectively. The amount of tannase production was similar to the levels achieved in previous studies, but this was accomplished with a 7% (w/w) reduction in the amount of supplemental tannic acid required. These results are the first to show that P. variotii is capable of producing phytase at significant levels. Moreover, the antioxidant capacity of orange pomace when tested against the free radical ABTS was increased by approximately tenfold as a result of the fermentation process.

Detoxification of castor bean residues and the simultaneous production of tannase and phytase by solid-state fermentation using Paecilomyces variotii.

In this work, we introduce a biological detoxification method that converts toxic waste from castor beans into animal feed material. This method simultaneously induces the production of tannase and phytase by Paecilomyces variotii; both enzymes have high levels of activity and have the potential to be used in feedstuffs because they decrease overall anti-nutritional factors. The maximum tannase and phytase activities obtained were 2600 and 260 U/g after 48 and 72 h, respectively. SDS-PAGE electrophoresis of the fermented castor cake extracts revealed a reduction in ricin bands during fermentation, and the bands were no longer visible after 48 h. The cytotoxicity of the extracts was evaluated by MTT testing on RAW cells, and a progressive increase in cellular viability was obtained, reaching almost 100% after 72 h of fermentation.