Enzymes in food processing: a condensed overview on strategies for better biocatalysts.

Pedro Fernandes

doi:10.4061/2010/862537

Abstract

Food and feed is possibly the area where processing anchored in biological agents has the deepest roots. Despite this, process improvement or design and implementation of novel approaches has been consistently performed, and more so in recent years, where significant advances in enzyme engineering and biocatalyst design have fastened the pace of such developments. This paper aims to provide an updated and succinct overview on the applications of enzymes in the food sector, and of progresses made, namely, within the scope of tapping for more efficient biocatalysts, through screening, structural modification, and immobilization of enzymes. Targeted improvements aim at enzymes with enhanced thermal and operational stability, improved specific activity, modification of pH-activity profiles, and increased product specificity, among others. This has been mostly achieved through protein engineering and enzyme immobilization, along with improvements in screening. The latter has been considerably improved due to the implementation of high-throughput techniques, and due to developments in protein expression and microbial cell culture. Expanding screening to relatively unexplored environments (marine, temperature extreme environments) has also contributed to the identification and development of more efficient biocatalysts. Technological aspects are considered, but economic aspects are also briefly addressed.

Highlights

Food processing through the use of biological agents is historically a well-established approach
The large-scale application of enzymes only became really established in the 1960s, when the traditional acid hydrolysis of starch was replaced by an approach based in the use of amylases and amyloglucosidases, a cocktail that some years latter would include glucose isomerase [1, 2, 4, 5]
The integration of enzymes in food and feed processes is a well-established approach, but evidence clearly shows that dedicated research efforts are consistently being made as to make this application of biological agents more effective and/or diversified

Summary

Introduction

Food processing through the use of biological agents is historically a well-established approach. Enzymes are currently among the well established products in biotechnology [6], from US $1.3 billion in 2002 to US $4 billion in 2007; it is expected to have reached US $5.1 billion in a rough 2009 year, and is anticipated to reach $7 billion by 2013 [3, 5, 7,8,9] In the overall, this pattern corresponds to a rise in global demand slightly exceeding 6% yearly [7, 9]. Part of this market is ascribed to enzymes used in large-scale applications, among them are those used in food and feed applications [10] These include enzymes used in baking, beverages and brewing, dairy, dietary supplements, as well as fats and oils, and they have typically been dominating one, only bested by the segment assigned to technical enzymes [11, 12]. The pace of development in emerging markets is suggestive that companies from India and China can join this restricted party in a very near future [15,16,17]

Relevant Enzymes

Improving Biocatalysts

Immobilization

Findings

Conclusions and Future Perspectives