Production, partial purification and characterization of α-l-rhamnosidase from Penicillium ulaiense

Abstract

Penicillium ulaiense is a post-harvest pathogenic fungus that attacks citrus fruits. The objective of this work was to study this microorganism as an α-l-rhamnosidase producer and to characterize it from P. ulaiense. The enzyme under study is used for different applications in food and beverage industries. α-l-Rhamnosidase was produced in a stirred-batch reactor using rhamnose as the main carbon source. The kinetic parameters for the growth of the fungi and for the enzyme production were calculated from the experimental values. A method for partial purification, including (NH4)2SO4 precipitation, incubation at pH 12 and DEAE-sepharose chromatography yielded an enzyme with very low β-glucosidase activity. The pH and temperature optima were 5.0 and 60°C, respectively. The Michaelis–Menten constants for the hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl-α-l-rhamnoside were V max = 26 ± 4 IU ml−1 and K m = 11 ± 2 mM. The enzyme showed good thermostability up to 60°C and good operational stability in white wine. Co2+ affected positively the activity; EDTA, Mn2+, Mg2+, dithiotreitol and Cu2+ reduced the activity by different amounts, and Hg2+ completely inhibited the enzyme. The enzyme showed more activity on p-nitrophenyl-α-l-rhamnoside than on naringin. According to these results, this enzyme has potential for use in the food and pharmacy industries since P. ulaiense does not produce mycotoxins.