Salwa Karboune

Extraction and structural characterisation of rhamnogalacturonan I-type pectic polysaccharides from potato cell wall

Cell wall material from potato pulp by-product was used for the extraction of galactan-rich rhamnogalacturonan I (RG-I) type pectic polysaccharides using alkaline (NaOH and KOH) and enzymatic (endopolygalacturonase from Aspergillus niger) methods. The extraction yield increased as the concentration of alkaline solution was increased from 0.5 M (22-24%) to 2 M (53-56%). The yield of 38% obtained upon the enzymatic treatment was similar to those observed with 1M alkaline solutions. The results reveal the high debranching of arabinan side chains of RG I as compared to the galactan ones under harsh alkaline conditions. The molecular weight distribution shows that the enzymatic extraction led to the highest proportion of high-molecular weight polysaccharides (>500 kDa; 62.2%). According to monosaccharide pattern, the weak acidic fractions of high alkaline (1-2 M)-based polysaccharide extracts was the most enriched with galactan-rich RG I. Using milder conditions (enzyme and weak alkaline), two RG I populations with low and high linked homogalacturonan fragments were recovered in the weak and strong acidic fractions, respectively. The structure of galactan-rich RG I was confirmed by H(1) NMR spectroscopy analysis.

Potato protein isolates: Recovery and characterization of their properties

An imitation of industrial potato fruit juice (PFJ) was prepared, using Canadian variety of potatoes, and was characterized of being composed of 22.9% patatin, 53.3% protease inhibitors, and 23.7% high MW proteins. To isolate potato proteins from PFJ, several extraction techniques were explored including thermal/acidic combination, acidic, FeCl3, MnCl2, ethanol and (NH4)2SO4 precipitations, and carboxymethyl cellulose complexation. (NH4)2SO4 precipitation led to the highest yield (98.6%) and to the recovery of protein isolates enriched in patatin with high resolubility. FeCl3 precipitation resulted in the highest purification factor (6.2) and isolates with the lowest relative proportion of high MW proteins (<4.6%); however, its optimal isolate showed a wide minimum solubility pH range of 3.0-6.0. FeCl3 and MnCl2 were identified as the best precipitating agents for the enrichment of isolates with >15kDa protease inhibitors. Trypsin inhibiting activities of protease inhibitors were highly preserved upon protein isolation than the chymotrypsin ones. Acidic-based protein isolate showed the highest specific lipid acyl hydrolase activity of patatin towards o-nitrophenyl butyrate, whereas FeCl3-based one exhibited the highest activity towards 4-nitrophenyl laurate.

Enzymatic synthesis of structured phenolic lipids by incorporation of selected phenolic acids into triolein

The synthesis of structured phenolic lipids by lipase-catalyzed transesterification of selected phenolic acids, including p-hydroxyphenyl acetic, p-coumaric, sinapic, ferulic and 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acids, with triolein was investigated. The highest enzymatic activity (248 nmol esterified phenolic acid/g solid enzyme/min) and bioconversion (62%) was obtained for the transesterification of p-hydroxyphenyl acetic acid with triolein. In addition, the transesterification of p-coumaric with triolein resulted in a higher enzymatic activity (87 nmol esterified phenolic acid/g solid enzyme/min) and bioconversion (46%) than those obtained for the transesterfication of ferulic and sinapic acids. The results also showed that using p-hydroxyphenyl acetic, p-coumaric and ferulic acids as substrate, the maximum bioconversion of phenolic monoacylglycerols was close to that of phenolic diacylglycerols. Although p-coumaric acid had very low radical scavenging activity (2%) compared to that of ferulic acid (62%), the p-coumaroylated lipids demonstrated a higher scavenging potency (16%) than that of the feruloylated one (10%).

Lipase-catalyzed synthesis of phenolic lipids from fish liver oil and dihydrocaffeic acid

The enzymatic synthesis of phenolic lipids by lipase-catalyzed transesterification of dihydrocaffeic acid (DHCA) with fish liver oil was investigated in a selected organic solvent medium. These synthesized phenolic lipids have potential use as nutraceutical products. Using a molar ratio of 1:8 DHCA to fish liver oil in hexane:2-butanone mixtures of 75:25 and 85:15 (v/v), the lipase-catalyzed reaction resulted in maximum conversion of 55.8 and 65.4%, respectively. The maximum conversion of phenolic monoacylglycerols in hexane:2-butanone mixture of 75:25 and 85:15 (v/v) was 40.3 and 37.7%, respectively; using the same solvent mixtures, the conversions of the phenolic diacylglycerol were 15.8 and 36.8%, respectively. Hexane:2-butanone mixture of 75:25 (v/v) was, therefore, the best organic solvent mixture for the production of phenolic monoacylglycerols, while that of 85:15 (v/v) was best for the production of phenolic diacylglycerols. The phenolic lipids produced from the fish liver oil and DHCA demonstrated antioxidant property as indicated by its free radical scavenging capacity.

Characterization of Selected Cellulolytic Activities of Multi-enzymatic Complex System from Penicillium funiculosum

The presence of endo-1,4-beta-D-glucanase, cellobiohydrolase, and beta-glucosidase activities in a multi-enzymatic complex system from Penicillium funiculosum was investigated. The interesting feature of these enzymes is their synergistic action for the hydrolysis of the native cellulose into glucose units. Both endo-1,4-beta-D-glucanase and cellobiohydrolase showed broader pH activity profiles, with pH optima of 4.0 and 4.0-5.0, respectively. However, beta-glucosidase activity showed a narrow pH-activity profile, with an optimum pH of 4.5. The different cellulolytic activities were stable in the acidic pH range of 2.5-6.0 and showed a similar optimal temperature of 60 degrees C. Although beta-glucosidase has shown a close catalytic efficiency as that of endo-1,4-beta-D-glucanase, its thermal stability was lower. However, the thermal stability profile of cellobiohydrolase was close to that of endo-1,4-beta-D-glucanase. The results also revealed the presence of high levels of endo-1,3-1,4-beta-D-glucanase, endo-1,3-beta- d-glucanase, and pectinase activities in the multi-enzymatic cellulolytic complex system. Moreover, the investigated multi-enzymatic complex system was effective in degrading the nonstarch polysaccharides of soybean meal.

Lipase-catalyzed esterification of selected phenolic acids with linolenyl alcohols in organic solvent media

Lipase-catalyzed esterification of selected phenolic acids with linolenyl alcohols was investigated in selected organic solvent media. The enzyme activity for the esterification of dihydrocaffeic acid with linolenyl alcohol in solvent mixtures of hexane/2-butanone of 75∶25 (v/v) and 65∶35 (v/v) was 0.88 and 0.47 μmol of esterified dihydrocaffeic acid/(g of solid enzyme·min), respectively, with a corresponding esterification yield of 76 and 58%, respectively. However, the esterification of ferulic acid with linolenyl alcohol in the reaction medium of hexane/2-butanone of 65∶35 (v/v) resulted in a low yield (16%). Using the reaction medium of hexane/2-butanone of 75∶25 (v/v), an increase in linolenyl alcohol concentration with a concomitant use of a constant amount of dihydrocaffeic acid resulted in an increase in esterification yield. The highest esterification yield of 99% was obtained with a ratio of dihydrocaffeic acid to linolenyl alcohol of 1∶8 after 7 d of reaction. Biosynthesis of the end product, linolenyl dihydrocaffeate, was confirmed by electrospray ionization mass spectroscopy structural analysis; the esterproduct demonstrated an antiradical activity close to that of α-tocopherol.

Purification and Characterization of Levansucrases from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens in Intra- and Extracellular Forms Useful for the Synthesis of Levan and Fructooligosaccharides

The intra- and extracellular levansucrase (LS) activities produced by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens were promoted by supplementing the sucrose medium with yeast and peptone as nitrogen sources. These activities were purified by polyethylene glycol (PEG) fractionation for the first time. PEGs of low molecular weight selectively fractionated the intracellular LS activity rather than the extracellular LS activity. Contrary to other LSs, B. amyloliquefaciens LSs exhibited high levan-forming activity over a wide range of sucrose concentrations. The optimum temperatures for the intra- (25–30 °C) and extracellular (40 °C) LS transfructosylation activities were lower than those for the hydrolytic activities (45–50 °C; 50 °C). In addition, the catalytic efficiency for the transfructosylation activity of intracellular LS was higher than that of extracellular LS. These differences between intra- and extracellular LSs reveal the occurrence of certain conformational changes to LS upon protein secretion and/or purification. This study is the first to highlight that B. amyloliquefaciens LSs synthesized a variety of FOSs from various saccharides, with lactose and maltose being the best fructosyl acceptors.

Enzymatic esterification of dihydrocaffeic acid with linoleyl alcohol in organic solvent media

The enzymatic esterification of dihydrocaffeic acid with linoleyl alcohol, using immobilized lipases (Lipozyme IM 20 and Novozym 435), was investigated in selected organic solvent media. Novozym 435 was found to be more efficient for catalyzing the esterification reaction. The highest enzymatic activity of 0.89 μmol esterified linoleyl alcohol/g solid enzyme/min was obtained in a hexane/2-butanone mixture of 75:25 (v/v), with an esterification yield of 75%; however, an increase in the 2-butanone proportion in the mixture up to 50% (v/v) resulted in a decrease in enzymatic activity and esterification yield to 0.38 μmol esterified linoleyl alcohol/g solid enzyme/min and 40%, respectively. The maximum esterification yield of 99.3% was obtained with a dihydrocaffeic acid to linoleyl alcohol ratio of 1:8. The electrospray ionization-mass spectroscopic structural analysis of the end products confirmed the biosynthesis of dihydrocaffeic acid ester of linoleyl alcohol, which demonstrated an anti-radical activity using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl as a radical model.

Digestibility and prebiotic properties of potato rhamnogalacturonan I polysaccharide and its galactose-rich oligosaccharides/oligomers

Galactose-rich oligosaccharides/oligomers (oligo-RG I) were produced by the enzymatic treatment of potato galactan-rich rhamnogalacturonan I (RG I) with endo-β-1,4-galactanase and Depol 670L multi-enzymatic preparation. The digestibility study revealed that 81.6 and 79.3% of RG I and its corresponding oligomers remained unhydrolyzed, respectively. The prebiotic properties of RG I and its hydrolysates were investigated using a continuous culture system inoculated with immobilized fecal microbiota. Both RG I and oligo-RG I have stimulated the growth of Bifidobacterium spp. and Lactobacillus spp., with oligo-RG I hydrolysates being more selectively fermented by these beneficial bacteria. Furthermore, none of RG I nor its hydrolysates increased the populations of Bacteroidetes and Clostridium leptum. Total amounts of short chain fatty acids, generated upon the fermentation of oligo-RG I, were higher than those obtained with its parent RG I and the positive control (fructooligosaccharides). The overall study contributes to the understandings of the prebiotic properties of potato RG I and its corresponding oligosaccharides/oligomers.

Properties of Geobacillus stearothermophilus levansucrase as potential biocatalyst for the synthesis of levan and fructooligosaccharides

The production of levansucrase (LS) by thermophilic Geobacillus stearothermophilus was investigated. LS production was more effective in the presence of sucrose (1%, w/v) than fructose, glucose, glycerol or raffinose. The results (Top 57°C; stable for 6 h at 47°C) indicate the high stability of the transfructosylation activity of G. stearothermophilus LS as compared with LSs from other microbial sources. Contrary to temperature, the pH had a significant effect on the selectivity of G. stearothermophilus LS‐catalyzed reaction, favoring the transfructosylation reaction in the pH range of 6.0–6.5. The kinetic parameter study revealed that the catalytic efficiency of transfructosylation activity was higher as compared with the hydrolytic one. In addition to levan, G. stearothermophilus LS synthesized fructooligosaccharides in the presence of sucrose as the sole substrate. The results also demonstrated the wide acceptor specificity of G. stearothermophilus LS with maltose being the best fructosyl acceptor. This study is the first on the catalytic properties and the acceptor specificity of LS from G. stearothermophilus.