Harnessing Biology for Sustainable Processing

摘要

IN 1877 THE German word enzym first appeared, followed in 1881 by the English word enzyme.'3 Enzyme is derived from the Greek words 'en zume' meaning 'in leaven', the substance added to dough to produce fermentation. Prior to this, enzymes were referred to by the French word ferment [derived from the Latin root of fervere (to boil)]. In 1833 an extract from malt (germinated barley) was found to convert insoluble starch granules into soluble dextrins. Later, in 1857, malt extract was used to remove starch-based print thickeners safely from printed cotton fabrics. By 1900 Diastophor, the first commercial enzyme desizing formulation, was introduced, which contained two enzymes -one of which converted starch into maltose and the other, starch into dextrins.