RESUMO -Fructoligosaccharides (FOS) are food additives with several health benefits, especially in the digestive tube, where they act as prebiotics presenting several advantages over other oligosaccharides synthesized industrially. This work is focused on the synthesis of fructooligosaccharides (FOS) from sucrose and inulin using free, immobilized and pre-treated inulinases from Kluyveromyces marxianus NRRL Y 7571 and Aspergillus niger in aqueous system. Initially, the influence of the different gases (propane, n-butane and LPG) on FOS production was investigated. The best results were achieved when both enzymes were previously treated with LPG. For the synthesis of FOS using inulinases from Aspergillus niger, 56.98% of GF2 and 8.47% of GF4, was obtained using inulin as substrate. Using inulinases from Kluyveromyces marxianus NRRL Y 7571, 4.8% of GF2, 5.47% of GF3 and 4.27% of GF4 was achieved, also using inulin as substrate.

210 % in the residual activity using n-butane at 30 bar during 6 h exposure and with a depressurization rate of 20 bar/min. For commercial inulinase from Aspergillus niger, an increment of 142 % in the residual activity at 270 bar for 6 h treatment at the highest depressurization rate (100 bar/min) was observed. The use of compressed n-butane may be of technological relevance as a preceding, preparation step, towards improving enzyme activity, hence helping the development of new biotransformation processes.