Purification and Characterization of a Thermostable -Mannanase from BE-91: Potential Application in Inflammatory Diseases.

-mannanase has shown compelling biological functions because of its regulatory roles in metabolism, inflammation, and oxidation. This study separated and purified the -mannanase from BE-91, which is a powerful hemicellulose-degrading bacterium using a "two-step" method comprising ultrafiltration and gel chromatography. The purified -mannanase (about 28.2 kDa) showed high specific activity (79, 859.2 IU/mg). The optimum temperature and pH were 65°C and 6.0, respectively. Moreover, the enzyme was highly stable at temperatures up to 70°C and pH 4.5-7.0. The -mannanase activity was significantly enhanced in the presence of Mn, Cu, Zn, Ca, Mg, and Al and strongly inhibited by Ba and Pb. and values for locust bean gum were 7.14 mg/mL and 107.5 mol/min/mL versus 1.749 mg/mL and 33.45 mol/min/mL for Konjac glucomannan, respectively. Therefore, -mannanase purified by this work shows stability at high temperatures and in weakly acidic or neutral environments. Based on such data, the -mannanase will have potential applications as a dietary supplement in treatment of inflammatory processes.