Faculty of Chemistry and Biology, Department of Biology, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
School of Biochemical Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile.
Biochim Biophys Acta Proteins Proteom. 2020 Jan;1868(1):140271. doi: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2019.140271. Epub 2019 Sep 5.
β-Galactosidase is one of the most important industrial enzymes, that has been used for many decades in the dairy industry. The main application of β-galactosidase is related to the production of low-lactose and lactose-free milk and dairy products, which are now common consumer goods in supermarket shelves. This is a well-established market that is expected to keep on growing as these products become more accessible to mid-income people worldwide. However, a fresh air has come into the β-galactosidase business as non-conventional applications arose in recent decades based on its transgalactosylation activity. This capacity is certainly a major asset for a commodity enzyme that can be used now as a catalyst for the upgrading of readily available and cheap lactose into high added-value glycosides in processes of organic synthesis in tune with green chemistry principles within the framework of sustainability. This is a reflection of a paradigm shift, where enzymes are now being considered as apt catalysts for the synthesis of valuable organic compounds. This article reviews the main applications of β-galactosidase, going from its conventional use related to its hydrolytic activity to the ongoing non-conventional applications in the synthesis of high added-value oligosaccharides based on its transgalactosylation activity.
β-半乳糖苷酶是最重要的工业酶之一，已经在乳制品行业使用了几十年。β-半乳糖苷酶的主要应用与低乳糖和无乳糖牛奶和乳制品的生产有关，这些产品现在是超市货架上常见的消费品。这是一个成熟的市场，预计随着这些产品在全球中低收入人群中的普及，市场规模将继续增长。然而，由于其转半乳糖基活性，近几十年来出现了非传统应用，为β-半乳糖苷酶业务带来了新的活力。这种转化能力对于一种商品酶来说无疑是一项重大资产，现在可以用作催化剂，在有机合成过程中，根据可持续发展框架中的绿色化学原则，将廉价易得的乳糖升级为具有高附加值的糖苷。这反映了一种范式转变，即现在人们认为酶是合成有价值的有机化合物的合适催化剂。本文综述了β-半乳糖苷酶的主要应用，从其与水解活性相关的传统应用到基于其转半乳糖基活性的正在进行的非传统应用，即用于合成具有高附加值的低聚糖。
