The availability of fruit like litchi has been limited by variability in yield, alternate bearing, seasonal differences and most commonly post harvest problems. The litchi fruit has a very short shelf-life during which red color turns brown which greatly affects the appeal to consumer although not the unique flavor. This review article focuses on the post harvest problems especially browning of litchi. The pericarp of litchi is also sensitive to desiccation and turns brown and brittle once moisture is reduced to half. A large number of approaches have been tried to solve this problem starting from hydro-cooling to gamma irradiation but single approach could not suffice for all. In modern era, the logical base of controlling browning is either to control the responsible enzyme or remove the undesirable product of enzyme catalyzed reaction. Thus enzyme technology with good postharvest practice can definitely solve this problem.
The process protocol of high titer milk clotting enzyme (MCE) production from Bacillus subtilis was delineated through optimizing different energy sources and growth conditions like incubation period, temperature and pH. The culture broth showed maximum production of MCE at pH 6.0 and temperature 40C after 48 h of incubation with the yield of 191.55 U/mL. Quantitative comparison of MCE activity before and after optimization revealed 7.46-fold increase in MCE production after the process conditions were standardized. The characteristics of MCE viz. broad pH and temperature stability could make it useful as a new source of milk coagulant in dairy processing.
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSEach microbial strain is unique in its molecular, biochemical and metabolic enzyme production properties. These production characteristics would have to offer competitive advantages over the existing products of un-optimized medium. This warrants thorough study of isolated microbial species under variable growth conditions. Fungal MCEs have been widely reported. The Milk Clotting Activity (MCA) and MCA per Proteolytic Activity (PA) index of the bacterium under study are comparable to that of many fungal reports and better than quite a few bacterial MCEs. Bacillus subtilis can be a promising microorganism for MCE production and has a good probability of successful use in cheese production.
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