alpha-Galactosidase: A Food and Feed Enzyme

摘要

Legumes have traditionally been an important part of the diets of many cultures throughout the world. The nutritional profile of beans shows that they have much to offer; beans are high in protein, low in saturated fat, and high in complex carbohydrates and fiber. Beans are also a good source of several micronutrients and phytochemicals. Despite the nutritional and health benefits of legumes their utilization is constrained due to the presence of raffmose family oligosaccharides which have the tendency to induce flatulence. It is desirable that these flatulence factors are removed from the legumes, if they are to be widely accepted for nutritional utilization. Various conventional methods like soaking, cooking, germination etc. are in practice for the removal of these anti-nutritive flatulence-causing factors from the legumes. But these methods have several drawbacks and they affect the physicochemical characteristics of legumes. Of the various techniques used, enzymatic treatment of legumes has been found most effective, alpha-Galactosidase is a versatile enzyme which can alleviate the problems of flatulence by mediating the removal of flatulence factors from legumes. It is an exoglycosidase which can catalyze the hydrolysis of raffmose oligosaccharides. Various fermentation technologies like submerged and solid-state fermentation are practiced for the microbial production of alpha-galactosidase. Several reports are available in the literature documenting the use of microbial a-galactosidase for the treatment of legumes to be used for human consumption as well as feed for animals. Usually a-galactosidases for legume processing should be stable at high temperatures and over a wide range of pH. Microbial a-galactosidases are also commercially available as enzyme supplements in dietary enzyme products.