Enzymatic synthesis of fructo-oligosaccharides using Pectinex® Ultra SP-L: A study of experimental conditions

Abstract

The obvious benefits of employing prebiotics as functional components in many foods and feed products have resulted in higher demand for their industrial production, necessitating the development of more efficient and cost-effective manufacturing procedures. As a result, the goal of this study was to synthesize confirmed prebiotics, namely fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), using sucrose as a substrate, since it allows the synthesis of oligosaccharides with lower polymerization degree, and consequently, a more pronounced prebiotic effect. Due to its availability, low market price, and high stability under industrial conditions, a commercial enzymatic mixture, Pectinex® Ultra SP-L, is used as a source of enzyme - fructosyltransferase (FTase). By varying key experimental conditions such as pH, temperature, enzyme and substrate concentrations, as well as the duration of the process, the composition of the FOS mixture can be adjusted to fit the potential applications. It was found that by performing the reaction in an aqueous medium (pH 7), at a temperature of 50 °C using an enzyme concentration of 1% (v/v) and any sucrose concentration in the range of 200-700 g/L, it was possible to achieve maximum FOS yield of 60% of total carbohydrates within a 24 h. The produced syrup with a high content of FOS can be further used as an adequate food additive, or else, developed processes should be used for the transformation of various food products (such as juices, jams, fillings, candies, cakes, etc.) in which sucrose dominates, creating products with lower caloric and higher functional value.

Short-Chain Fructooligosaccharide Synthesis from Sugarcane Syrup with Commercial Enzyme Preparations and Some Physical and Antioxidation Properties of the Syrup and Syrup Powder

“…The sc-FOS molecule occurrence and the ratio of individual fractions (GF2, GF3 and GF4) constantly changed. At the beginning of the reaction, GF2 represented the major component of the system, while at longer time intervals, the ratio of GF3 or GF4 to GF2 increased [7].…”

“…Viscozyme L and Pectinex Ultra SP-L have a high Ut to Uh ratio, notable thermal and pH stability and remarkable activity toward sc-FOS production. Therefore, they are often applied for sc-FOS production, as reported in several studies [4][5][6][7]. Viscozyme L and Pectinex Ultra SP-L are two commercial enzymes prepared from Aspergillus aculeatus and marketed for use in the processing of fruit juice.…”

Tailored chitosan integration in diatomaceous earth particles as a scaffold for fructosyltransferase immobilization in fructo‐oligosaccharide production

“…5 These compounds are found in various fruits and vegetables, such as onions, asparagus, bananas and watermelon, and in fizzy drinks. 6 However, due to their low concentrations (typically 0.3-10%) and seasonal limitations, the extraction of FOS is not economically feasible from an industrial perspective. 7 FOS can be obtained using two enzymes, fructosyltransferase (FTase; EC 2.4.1.9) and ⊎-fructofuranosidase (FFase; EC 3.2.1.26).…”

“…The predominant components of this mixture are 1‐kestose (GF 2 ), nystose (GF 3 ) and 1‐ β ‐fructofuranosylnystose (GF 4 ) 5 . These compounds are found in various fruits and vegetables, such as onions, asparagus, bananas and watermelon, and in fizzy drinks 6 . However, due to their low concentrations (typically 0.3–10%) and seasonal limitations, the extraction of FOS is not economically feasible from an industrial perspective 7 …”