Juliana Alves Macedo

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.

Simultaneous extraction of oil and antioxidant compounds from oil palm fruit (Elaeis guineensis) by an aqueous enzymatic process

Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) fruit was treated with enzymes to facilitate simultaneous recovery of oil and bioactive compounds. Tannase from Paecilomyces variotii, cellulase and pectinase were evaluated for their influence on oil recovery and antioxidant capacity (DPPH), oxidative stability (Rancimat), fatty acid profile, total phenols, total carotenoids and tocols of the oil. Maximum oil recovery (90-93% total oil) was obtained with central composite design using 4% of enzyme preparation (w/w) as 80 U of tannase, 240 U of cellulase and 178 U of pectinase, pH 4, ratio of solution to pulp of 2:1 and 30 min of incubation at 50 °C. Tannase improved the phenolic compounds extraction by 51% and pectinase plus cellulase improved carotene extraction by 153%. Samples treated with tannase showed a 27% and 53% higher antioxidant capacity for the lipophilic and hydrophilic fractions.

Optimization of medium composition for transglutaminase production by a Brazilian soil Streptomyces sp

Finding a new microbial source of transglutaminase (MTGase) and the study of the medium composition for MTGase production were the goals of this work. A total of 200 actinomycete-like strains were isolated from Brazilian soil samples and two of them named T10b and P20 were selected based on their ability to produce 0.15 U.mL -1 and 0.25 U.mL -1 of MTGase, respectively. Strain P20 was chosen to continue the study and was identified as Streptomyces sp. In order to optimize the MTGase activity, modifications of the usual media composition described for enzyme production were tested. The strategy adopted was: (1) screening experiment for the best carbon and nitrogen sources; (2) fractional factorial design (FFD) to elucidate the key ingredients in the media (the results indicated that the soybean flour, peptone, KH 2 PO 4 and MgSO 4 .7H 2 O had a significant effect on MTGase) production and (3) central composite design (CCD) to optimize the concentration of the key components. The experimental results were fitted to a second-order polynomial model at the 95% level of significance (P -1 , very closely matching the experimental activity of 1.4 U.mL -1 .

Chemopreventive potential of the tannase-mediated biotransformation of green tea

Green tea (Camellia sinensis) is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world. The cancer chemopreventive qualities of green tea have been well documented. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is often described as the most potently chemopreventive green tea catechin; however, the low bioavailability of EGCG is a limiting factor for its biological effect. Thus, the aim of this work was to test the chemopreventive potential of green tea extract and EGCG after tannase-mediated hydrolysis. The results showed that the biotransformed compounds retained most of the beneficial properties of the original compounds, and some beneficial properties were improved in the biotransformed compounds. Biotransformation of EGCG decreased its toxicity without affecting its antiproliferative effects. Furthermore, human cells gene expression profiling showed that the biotransformed compounds modulated the expression of several genes related to carcinogenesis. These results demonstrate the benefits of the biotechnological modification of natural food molecules, allowing the improvement of the nutraceutical potential of a beverage as green tea.

A new biotechnological process to enhance the soymilk bioactivity

Equol, a daidzein metabolite produced exclusively by intestinal bacteria in some, but not all, humans, exhibits a wide range of beneficial health effects owing to its superior nutraceutical effect compared with isoflavones of soy. The aim of this work was to develop bioprocesses capable of increasing the bioactive properties of soymilk and, most importantly, increase the equol content by a biotechnological process in vitro. Biotransformation processes based on soymilk fermentation by probiotic lactic bacteria and application of the enzyme tannase caused an increase in the bioactive isoflavones and antioxidant capacity of soymilk. Furthermore, these processes approximately resulted in a 10-fold increase in the equol content of the soymilk. This is the first study to produce a significant equol concentration in soymilk using enzymatic processing only. The results suggest a new and effective biotechnological process, with major commercial potential, capable of producing a bioactive soy extract that intends to be “functional for everyone.”

Bioconversion of Isoflavones into Bioactive Equol: State of the Art

BACKGROUND Soy isoflavones, an important class of phytoestrogens, are suggested to be responsible for a number of biological activities associated with health benefits, including defense against various chronic diseases, including breast and prostate cancer, cardiovascular disorders, and osteoporosis, and they may alleviate the symptoms of menopause. METHODS However, current researches (including patents) have shown that the clinical efficacy of these phenolic compounds is related to the ability of an individual to biotransform isoflavones into equol, which is a metabolite of daidzein formed exclusively by the intestinal microbiota. RESULTS This biologically active metabolite presents greater effects than other isoflavones; however, only about 30-50 % of people have a microbiota that is able to produce equol from dietary daidzein. Concern has recently grown about applications to improve the production of this metabolite. CONCLUSION This paper summarizes the metabolism of equol, its production, and clinical implications.

Biotransformed citrus extract as a source of anti-inflammatory polyphenols: Effects in macrophages and adipocytes

Chronic non-communicable diseases such as obesity are preceded by increased macrophage infiltration in adipose tissue and greater secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines. We evaluated the anti-inflammatory potential of Biotransformed extract, and two control extracts: In Natura and Autoclaved. The assays were performed using a cellular model with RAW264.7, 3T3-L1 cells, and RAW264.7 and 3T3-L1 co-culture. The innovation of the study was the use of Biotransformed extract, a unique phenolic extract of a bioprocessed citrus residue. LPS stimulated RAW264.7 cells treated with the Biotransformed extract exhibited lower secretion of TNF-α and NO and lower protein expression of NFκB. In RAW264.7 and 3T3-L1 co-culture, treatment with 1.0mg/mL of the Biotransformed extract reduced secretion of TNF-α (30.7%) and IL-6 (43.4%). Still, the Biotransformed extract caused higher increase in adiponectin in relation to control extracts. When the co-culture received a LPS stimulus, the Autoclaved extract at 1.0mg/mL reduced IL-6 and TNF-α concentrations, and raised adiponectin. However, it was noteworthy that the Biotransformed extract was also able to significantly reduce IL-6 concentration while the Natural extract was not. The Biotransformed citrus extract evaluated in this study showed anti-inflammatory activity in macrophages and in co-culture, indicating that bioprocess of citrus residue can contribute to new product development with anti-inflammatory potential.

Antioxidant Potential and Modulatory Effects of Amazonian Restructured Lipids in Liver Cells

Enzymatic interesterification is used to manipulate oil and fat in order to obtain improved restructured lipids with desired technological properties. However, with raw materials containing significant amounts of bioactive compounds, the influence of this enzymatic process on the bioactivity of the final product is still not clear. Thus, the aim of this study is to evaluate the antioxidant potential and modulatory effects of two raw materials from the Amazonian area, buriti oil and murumuru fat, before and after lipase interesterification, on human hepatoma cells (HepG2). The results indicate that minor bioactive compounds naturally found in the raw materials and their antioxidant capacity are preserved after enzymatic interesterification, and that the restructured lipids modulate HepG2 endogenous antioxidant enzyme.