Food Biotechnology Overview

Introduction to Biotechnological Applications in the Food Industry

• Dr. Eman Owis, a lecturer of Microbial Biotechnology from Mansoura University in Germany, presented on this topic.

Food Biotechnology

• Food biotechnology is a broad area, encompassing many techniques and applications.
• Microorganisms, like bacteria, yeasts, and molds, play a critical role in many food processes.
• Factors influencing microbial activity vary, impacting the success of different food processes. The importance of bacteria and yeasts in the food industry is significant.
• Biotechnology in the food industry has several benefits. Food safety and regulations play a significant role.
• Specific techniques associated with food biotechnology differ based on the application.
• Enzymes are important biological catalysts.
• Nanotechnology also has applications in agriculture and the food industry.
• Ethical aspects of food and agricultural biotechnology are important considerations.

Enzymes in Food Industry

• Introduction, production of food enzymes from microorganisms, and ethical implications are discussed.
• Different enzymes with their specific uses in the food industry vary.

Outcomes of the Lecture

• This presentation included information on the nature of enzymes including:
  • historical context
  • chemical nature
  • structure of enzymes
  • enzyme catalysis
  • applications
• Enzymology is the branch of science focused on the biochemical nature and activity of enzymes.
• Enzymologists are specialists in this area.
• Various enzymes are listed by name.

Proteins and Enzymes

• Proteins are macromolecular components often folded into globular or fibrous shapes. They can be structural or functional.
• Structural proteins include those creating protective coverings like skin, hair, and wool. Others form connective tissues like tendons.
• Functional proteins, including enzymes such as (examples of specific enzymes given).
• Not all proteins are enzymes but all enzymes are proteins.

What is an Enzyme?

• Enzymes are functional proteins that accelerate biochemical reactions acting as biological catalysts.
• Enzymes are involved in all chemical reactions within a cell.
• Through substrate binding, enzymes catalyze reactions via a catalytic step involving an intermediate enzyme-substrate complex.
• The reactants in an enzyme-catalyzed reaction are called substrates, and the result of the reaction are products.
• The activation energy required for a (specific) reaction is lowered by the presence of an enzyme, enabling faster reactions.
• The free energy change of the reaction remains constant regardless of whether an enzyme is present.

Enzyme Structure

• Some enzymes require non-protein chemical groups called cofactors or coenzymes to fulfill certain reactivity needs.
• Cofactors may be either inorganic or organic molecules.
• Specific types of Inorganic cofactors, including metal ions (e.g., and copper), are important.
• Organic, like H-bonding and hydrophobic interactions, are important for cofactor activity. Co-enzymes are organic cofactors that are bonded to the enzyme prior to the other substrate-bound and aid in many different chemical reactions.
• The protein portion of an enzyme that requires a cofactor for full activity is referred to as the apoenzyme.
• The catalytic complex formed between the apoenzyme and its cofactor is called the holoenzyme.

Types of Enzymes

• Enzymes can be extra-cellular or intra-cellular. This includes examples for each type.

How Enzymes Work Efficiently

• Enzymes accelerate the rate of chemical reactions.
• Enzymes act on specific molecules.
• Enzymes and substrate interaction produces specific products.

Enzyme-Substrate Interaction

• The formation of an enzyme-substrate complex is the first step in an enzyme-catalyzed reaction.
• The substrate binds to the enzyme at the active site primarily through non-covalent interactions.
• These interactions include hydrogen bonding, electrostatic interactions and hydrophobic interactions, as well as van der Waals forces.

What Happens After Binding?

• For reactions to proceed, reactants' (A) energy increases to overcome the activation energy to produce products (B).

Chemical Nature of Enzymes

• Enzymes and proteins consist of a linear chain of amino acids linked via peptide bonds. Different amino acid sequences create different enzymes.

Enzyme Structure Details

• Primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary structures of proteins are discussed along with an illustration of the structures.
• Various structural components are discussed with examples such as beta strands, alpha helices, and loops and turns along with different structural properties.

Applications of Enzymes in the Food Industry

• Various industries including dairy, brewing, baking, and wine/juice production use specific enzymes.
• List of example enzymes used in food industries across the listed food production sectors.

Specific Types of Enzymes and Uses

• Detailed explanations of the different enzymes, their applications in various food industries, such as rennet, lactase, and protease, along with their individual benefits.

• Additional specific enzymes and their roles are discussed: catalase, protease, beta-glucanase a-amylase, maltogenic amylase, glucose oxidase, and pectinase, with examples and detailed explanation of use in their respective food industry sectors.

The Brewing Process

• Steps of brewing with diagrams displayed (e.g. milling, mashing, lautering, boiling, fermentation, bottling, and aging).
• The roles of specific enzymes in the process
• Key enzymes like protease, beta-glucanase, a-amylase, and amyloglucosidase.

Conclusion

• The importance of enzymes in all aspects of life is highlighted, emphasizing its role and significance in physiological and other biological processes.