Marine enzymes and food industry: insight on existing and potential interactions

Pedro Fernandes

doi:10.3389/fmars.2014.00046

Abstract

Evidence that support the marine environment as source of useful biocatalysts for application in several areas of industry pile up, both as scientific reports or patent applications. Marine microorganisms have to endure habitats characterized by extreme conditions of salinity, temperature or pressure. Their enzymes present concomitant features, viz. thermostability or halostability, which are appealing for practical applications. The food sector is a field where enzymes are used, given their specificity, compliance with strict regulations, relatively mild operational conditions required and environmental friendly nature. The specific features presented by marine enzymes can be advantageously used both for process improvement or to develop new processes and products. In the present review the role of relevant types of enzymes for the food sector is described and recent findings on those enzymes from marine are put into context. The information provided is illustrative that in spite of the relative novelty concerning the use of marine enzymes within the scope of the food sector, some processes have reached commercial status and promising results are being obtained with several others. Moreover, there is still a vast field of resources for enzyme activity to be explored, namely since the screening process that has been considerably improved with the contribution of metagenomic libraries. It can thus be considered that future and exciting developments can be expected concerning the use of marine enzymes in the food and feed areas.

Highlights

The marine environment conveys a diversity of conditions that provides unique habitats for the organisms living therein (Imhoff et al, 2011)
High salinity is naturally a common feature, but low temperatures can occasionally alternate with high temperature environments, such as those conveyed by thermal vents
Adapted organisms are required to endure such extreme conditions (Zhang and Kim, 2010; Trincone, 2013a). These particular features of marine organism are naturally anchored in enzymes with concomitantly unique and appealing characteristics, which have resulted in an increased interest in the prospection of marine resources for enzymes with applications in biotechnology (Trincone, 2011; Dionisi et al, 2012; Freitas et al, 2012; Arnosti et al, 2014). This trend, which encompasses the use of enzymes from marine sources within the food industry includes a vast array of applications, such as food processing, incorporation in formulations as food additives and production of given compounds (Trincone, 2011; Freitas et al, 2012; Nielsen and Nielsen, 2012)

Summary

Introduction

The marine environment conveys a diversity of conditions that provides unique habitats for the organisms living therein (Imhoff et al, 2011). With agarose as substrate the enzyme displayed an activity of 85 U/mg and the final products of hydrolysis were neoagarotetraose and Enzyme pH (-) and temperature optimum Comments (◦C), activity and stability

Results

Conclusion