The objectives of this work were to produce fructooligosaccharides (FOSs) by using the microorganism Bacillus subtilis natto CCT 7712 and to employ these FOSs as a functional ingredient in cassava starch edible films, which were characterized according to their microstructure, mechanical and barrier properties. The produced FOSs could be easily dissolved, resulting in homogeneous filmogenic solutions, which were easily manipulated to obtain films by casting. FOSs were added in different concentrations (0, 1, 5 and 10g/100g solids), and glycerol was used as a plasticizer (20g/100g solids). All formulations resulted in films that had a good appearance and were easily removable from the plates without bubbles or cracks. The FOSs exerted a plasticizing effect on the starch films and decreased their glass transition temperature. The addition of FOSs resulted in higher solubility and elongation and a decreased water vapor permeability of the films. FOSs were shown to be a promising ingredient for use in edible starch films.

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Fructooligosaccharides and levan have a wide range of applications in the food industry due to their physiological and functional properties. The enzymatic synthesis of these molecules exhibits great advantages when compared with microbial fermentation. In this study, the production of levansucrase from Bacillus subtilis natto and its utilization in fructooligosaccharides and levan syntheses using different reaction conditions were described. The best condition for levansucrase production was 420.7 g L of sucrose at pH 7.0, which reached 23.9 U ml of transfructosylation activity. In a bioreactor, the highest production of fructooligosaccharides was 41.3 g L using a medium containing 350 g L sucrose at 35 °C for 36 h. The enzymatic synthesis of levan resulted in 86.9 g L when conditions similar to those used for fructooligosaccharides synthesis were applied. These results indicate that the levansucrase from B. subtilis natto could be applied for the co-production of fructooligosaccharides and levan, which are biomolecules that have health benefits and are used successfully in the food industry.

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