Mouelhi Refka, Abidi Ferid, Marzouki Mohamed Nejib
Laboratory of Protein Engineering and Bioactive Molecules (LIP-MB), National Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology, University of Carthage, Tunis Cedex, Tunisia.
Biotechnol Appl Biochem. 2016 Mar-Apr;63(2):281-91. doi: 10.1002/bab.1360. Epub 2015 Jul 14.
This work is focused on the prebiotic synthesis by a purified immobilized β-fructofuranosidase (FFase) using a by-product molasses as a substrate. When cultivated on wheat bran, the fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum produces FFase with interesting transfructosylating activity. The enzyme was purified by gel filtration and anion exchange chromatography to homogeneity. It showed a specific activity of 66.06 U/mg and a molecular mass of 50 kDa. The FFase was immobilized covalently on alginate and chitosan, and the immobilization yield was 90% and 81% respectively, yet the immobilization efficiency was 52% and 93% in that order. The fixed enzymes were stable at a pH varying from 4.0 to 7.0 and at a temperature ranging from 4 to 70 °C. Yet, kinetic parameters and catalytic efficiency were determined for both immobilized and free FFases. Interestingly, chitosan cross-linked enzyme activity was maintained at 89.24% level after 50 reuses during 1 week. Continuous production of fructooligosaccharides (FOS) from beet molasses in chitosan enzyme reactor was improved. The maximum production yield obtained in 12 H was 72.2% (g FOS/g Sucrose). Thin-layer chromatography analysis showed that the major products are kestose and nystose.
World J Microbiol Biotechnol. 2013-10-19
J Agric Food Chem. 2010-1-13