Lipases obtained from orange wastes: Commercialization potential and biochemical properties of different varieties and fractions

Brazil is the world's leading orange supplier for juice production purposes. However, the production process generates high amount of wastes, which leads to disposal problems. Orange wastes can be used for lipases production, incorporating the biorefinery concept into juice industries. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate the wastes of orange production chain as source of lipases based on different varieties (Pera, Hamlin, Valencia, and Natal), as well as on different fractions of wastes. The mass balance of the juice/wastes (2007–2016 crops) was evaluated, and lipases from different varieties and fraction were biochemically characterized. Overall, the wastes corresponded to approximately 43% of the fruit mass. All the fractions of all varieties showed lipase activity in emulsified olive oil and in p-nitrophenyl substrates. The highest lipase activities were obtained by Natal pulp in emulsified olive oil, Natal frit, and Hamlin peel in p-NPB and Hamlin frit in p-NPL and p-NPP. The bagasse, peel, and frit lipases from the different orange varieties showed optimum pH from 6.0 to 8.0 and optimal temperature from 30 °C to 60 °C. Thus, it is possible concluding that the orange processing for juice production purposes generates a large amount of wastes, which can be destined to profitable purposes as lipases production. Lipases produced by different fractions and varieties are biochemically diverse, enabling the application a wide range of processes. © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 35: e2734, 2019     

Solid-state fermentation of co-products from palm oil processing: Production of lipase and xylanase and effects on chemical composition

The palm oil industry generates large amounts of lignocellulosic co-products. Palm kernel cake (PKC) and palm pressed fibre (PPF) have nutritional limitations as ingredients in animal feed, and are therefore little used. Solid-state fermentation (SSF) is one alternative treatment to improve the nutritional value of these co-products and to increase their possible use, through the production of enzymes such as lipases and xylanases. These enzymes can reduce the contents of undesirable compounds, such as lipids, and degrade some components of the fibres to improve the digestibility of these co-products. The fungi Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus awamori were able to grow in PKC/PPF (40/60 w/w) culture medium by SSF, and to produce xylanase and lipase. A. niger showed the highest lipase activity (20.7?U g^?1) at 72?h. A. awamori higher xylanase activity than the other fungi at all culture periods, reaching a maximum activity of 134.2?U g^?1 at 72?h. The unfermented co-products contained 7.49% lipids and 7.38% non-fibrous carbohydrates (NFC). Lipase produced by these fungi during SSF reduced the lipid content by 36%, 40% and 45% for A. oryzae, A. awamori and A. niger, respectively. The production of xylanases by SSF probably increased the NFC contents by up to 64%. Fermented solids with A. oryzae and A. awamori had the highest levels of NFC, 20.3% and 13.94%, respectively, which improved the nutritional value of these co-products.     

Interesterification of butter fat by partially purified extracellular lipases from Pseudomonas putida,Aspergillus niger and Rhizopus oryzae

Three extracellular lipases were produced by batch fermentation of Pseudomonas putida ATCC 795, Aspergillus niger CBS 131.52 and Rhizopus oryzae ATCC 34612 during the late phase of growth, at 72, 96 and 96 h, respectively. The lipases were partially purified by (NH₄)₂SO₄ fractionation. The lipase of P. putida was optimal at pH 8.0 whereas those from A. niger and R. oryzae were optimal at pH 7.5. The A. niger lipase had the lowest V _max value (0.51×10^-3 U/min) and R. oryzae the highest (1.86×10^-3 U/min). The K _m values for P. putida, A. niger and R. oryzae lipases were 1.18, 0.97, and 0.98 mg/ml, respectively. Native PAGE of the partially-purified lipase extracts showed two to four major bands. The interesterification of butter fat by A. niger lipase decreased the water activity as well as the hydrolytic activity. The A. niger lipase had the highest interesterification yield value (26%) and the R. oryzae lipase the lowest (4%). In addition, A. niger lipase exhibited the highest decrease (17%) in long-chain hypercholesterolemic fatty acids (C12:0, C14:0 and C16:0) at the sn-2-position; the P. putida lipase demonstrated the least favourable changes in specificity at the same position.F. Pabai and S. Kermasha are with the Department of Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry, McGill University, 21111 Lakeshore, Ste Anne de Bellevue, Québec, H9X 3V9, Canada; A. Morin is with the Food Research and Development Centre, Agricultural and Agri-Food Canada, 3600 Casavant Blvd West, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, J2S 8E3, Canada.     

Inhibition of Incorporation of l-Alanine into Uridine-diphospho N-acetylmuramic Acid by Glycine

Lipases from Aspergillus niger and Rhizopus delemar hydrolyzed triolein and produced l,2 (2,3)-diolein and 2-monoolein. These two lipases appears to have strong specificity towards the outer chains of the triglyceride. Comparing the proportions of fatty acids in position 1 (3) of cocoa butter with proportions of fatty acids liberated after limited hydrolysis of cocoa butter, it becomes clear that these two lipases do not hydrolyze the ester bond in position 2 of the triglyceride.

On the other hand, lipases from Geotrichum candidum Link and Penicillium cyclopium Westring attacked the fatty acid chains regardless of their positions. Geotrichum candidum lipase liberated oleic acid and palmitic acid in preference to stearic acid from cocoa butter.     

Lipase production by recombinant strains of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aspergillus niger</Emphasis> expressing a lipase-encoding gene from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Thermomyces lanuginosus</Emphasis>

Two recombinant strains of Aspergillus niger (NW 297-14 and NW297-24) producing a heterologous lipase from Thermomyces lanuginosus were constructed. The heterologous lipase was expressed using the TAKA amylase promoter from Aspergillus oryzae. The production kinetics of the two strains on different carbon sources in batch and carbon-limited chemostat cultivations were evaluated. In batch cultivations, the highest total product yield coefficient (Y_{xp total}), given as the sum of extracellular and intracellular yields, was obtained during growth on glucose for the transformant strain NW297-24 (5.7±0.65 KU/g DW), whereas the highest total product yield coefficient was obtained during growth on maltose for the transformant strain NW297-14 (6.3±0.02 KU/g DW). Both transformants were evaluated in glucose-limited chemostat cultures. Strain NW297-14 was found to be the best producer and was thus employed for further analysis of the influence of carbon source in chemostat cultures. Here, the highest total specific lipase productivity (r_{p total}, the sum of extracellular and intracellular lipase productivity) was found to be 1.60±0.81 KU/g DW/h in maltose-limited chemostats at a dilution rate of 0.08 h^–1, compared with a total specific lipase productivity of 1.10±0.41 KU/g DW/h in glucose-limited chemostats. At the highest specific productivity obtained in this study, the heterologous enzyme accounted for about 1% of all cellular protein being produced by the cells, which shows that it is possible to obtain high productivities of heterologous fungal enzymes in A. niger. However, SDS-PAGE analysis showed that most of the produced lipase was bound to the cell wall.     

Biotechnological conversion of waste cooking olive oil into lipid-rich biomass using Aspergillus and Penicillium strains

Aims: In this study, we have investigated the biochemical behaviour of Aspergillus sp. (five strains) and Penicillium expansum (one strain) fungi cultivated on waste cooking olive oil. The production of lipid‐rich biomass was the main target of the work. In parallel, the biosynthesis of other extracellular metabolites (organic acids) and enzyme (lipase) and the substrate fatty acid specificity of the strains were studied. Methods and Results: Carbon‐limited cultures were performed on waste oil, added in the growth medium at 15 g l^?1, and high biomass quantities were produced (up to c. 18 g l^?1, conversion yield of c. 1·0 g of dry biomass formed per g of fat consumed or higher). Cellular lipids were accumulated in notable quantities in almost all cultures. Aspergillus sp. ATHUM 3482 accumulated lipid up to 64·0% (w/w) in dry fungal mass. In parallel, extracellular lipase activity was quantified, and it was revealed to be strain and fermentation time dependent, with a maximum quantity of 645 U ml^?1 being obtained by Aspergillus niger NRRL 363. Storage lipid content significantly decreased at the stationary growth phase. Some differences in the fatty acid composition of both cellular and residual lipids when compared with the initial substrate fat used were observed; in various cases, cellular lipids more saturated and enriched with arachidic acid were produced. Aspergillus strains produced oxalic acid up to 5·0 g l^?1. Conclusions: Aspergillus and Penicillium strains are able to convert waste cooking olive oil into high‐added‐value products. Significance and Impact of the Study: Increasing fatty wastes amounts are annually produced. The current study provided an alternative way of biovalourization of these materials, by using them as substrates, to produce added‐value compounds.     

Extracellular lipase of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aspergillus niger</Emphasis> NRRL3; production,partial purification and properties

Four strains of Aspergillus niger were screened for lipase production. Each was cultivated on four different media differing in their contents of mineral components and sources of carbon and nitrogen. Aspergillus niger NRRL3 produced maximal activity (325U/ml) when grown in 3% peptone, 0.05% MgSO₄.7H₂O, 0.05% KCl, 0.2% K₂HPO₄ and 1% olive oil:glucose (0.5:0.5). A. niger NRRL3 lipase was partially purified by ammonium sulphate precipitation. The majority of lipase activity (48%) was located in fraction IV precipitated at 50–60% of saturation with a 18-fold enzyme purification. The optimal pH of the partial purified lipase preparation for the hydrolysis of emulsified olive oil was 7.2 and the optimum temperature was 60°C. At 70°C, the enzyme retained more than 90% of its activity. Enzyme activity was inhibited by Hg²⁺ and K⁺, whereas Ca²⁺ and Mn²⁺ greatly stimulated its activity. Additionally, the formed lipase was stored for one month without any loss in the activity.     

Screening Botryosphaeria species for lipases: Production of lipase by Botryosphaeria ribis EC-01 grown on soybean oil and other carbon sources

Nine isolates of Botryosphaeria spp. were screened for lipases when cultivated on eight different plant seed oils and glycerol, and all produced lipases. Botryosphaeria ribis EC-01 produced highest lipase titres on soybean oil and glycerol, while eight isolates of Botryosphaeria rhodina produced significantly lower enzyme titres. B. ribis EC-01 produced lipase when grown on different fatty acids, surfactants, carbohydrates and triacylglycerols, with highest enzyme titres produced on Triton X-100-emulsified stearic (316.7 U/mL), palmitic (283.5 U/mL) and oleic (247.4 U/mg) acids, and soybean oil (105.6 U/mL), as well as castor oil (191.2 U/mg); an enhancement of 9-fold over soybean oil-grown cultures. Glycerol was also a good substrate for lipase production. The crude lipase extract was optimally active at pH 8.0 and 55 °C, stable between 30 and 55 °C and pH 1–10, and tolerant to 50% (v/v) glycerol, methanol and ethanol. The crude lipase showed affinity for substrates of short, average and long-chain fatty acids (different esters of p-nitrophenol and triacylglycerols). Zymograms developed with 4-methylumbelliferyl-butyrate showed two bands of lipolytic activity at 45 and 15 kDa. This is the first report on the production of lipases by B. ribis grown on these different carbon sources.     

Lipase of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aspergillus niger</Emphasis> NCIM 1207: A Potential Biocatalyst for Synthesis of Isoamyl Acetate

Commercial lipase preparations and mycelium bound lipase from Aspergillus niger NCIM 1207 were used for esterification of acetic acid with isoamyl alcohol to obtain isoamyl acetate. The esterification reaction was carried out at 30°C in n-hexane with shaking at 120 rpm. Initial reaction rates, conversion efficiency and isoamyl acetate concentration obtained using Novozyme 435 were the highest. Mycelium bound lipase of A. niger NCIM 1207 produced maximal isoamyl acetate formation at an alcohol/acid ratio of 1.6. Acetic acid at higher concentrations than required for the critical alcohol/acid ratio lower than 1.3 and higher than 1.6 resulted in decreased yields of isoamyl acetate probably owing to lowering of micro-aqueous environmental pH around the enzyme leading to inhibition of enzyme activity. Mycelium bound A. niger lipase produced 80 g/l of isoamyl acetate within 96 h even though extremely less amount of enzyme activity was used for esterification. The presence of sodium sulphate during esterification reaction at higher substrate concentration resulted in increased conversion efficiency when we used mycelium bound enzyme preparations of A. niger NCIM 1207. This could be due to removal of excess water released during esterification reaction by sodium sulphate. High ester concentration (286.5 g/l) and conversion (73.5%) were obtained within 24 h using Novozyme 435 under these conditions.     

Continuous production of citric acid from dairy wastewater using immobilized<Emphasis Type="Italic">Aspergillus niger</Emphasis> ATCC 9142

The continuous production of citric acid from dairy wastewater was investigated using calcium-alginate immobilizedAspergillus niger ATCC 9142. The citric acid productivity and yield were strongly affected by the culture conditions. The optimal pH, temperature, and dilution rate were 3.0, 30°C, and 0.025 h⁻¹, respectively. Under optimal culture conditions, the maximum productivity, concentration, and yield of citric acid produced by the calcium-alginate immobilizedAspergillus niger were 160 mg L⁻¹ h⁻¹, 4.5 g/L, and 70.3% respectively. The culture was continuously perfored for 20 days without any apparent loss in citric acid productivity. Conversely, under the same conditions with a batch shake-flask culture, the maximum productivity, citric acid concentration, and yield were only 63.3 mg L⁻¹ h⁻¹, 4.7 g/L and 51.4%, respectively. Therefore, the results suggest that the bioreactor used in this study could be potentially used for continuous citric acid production from dairy wastewater by applying calcium-alginate immobilizedAspergillus niger.     

Comparative study of the production of extracellular β-glucosidase by four different strains of Aspergillus using submerged fermentation

Four strains of Aspergillus (Aspergillus niger CDBB-H-176, A. niger CDBB-H-175, A. niger ATCC 9642, and Aspergillus terreus CDBB-H-194) were used to produce extracellular β-glucosidase. Using an orthogonal experimental design (L₉), we optimized the parameters of culture medium to maximize the activity of β-glucosidase. The optimal conditions (same for the four strains) were as follows: temperature, 30°C; pH, 6.0; orbital agitation, 200?rpm; concentration of sucrose, 0.5% (w/v). The most productive strain was A. niger CDBB-H-175, with a yield of 701.2?U/mL. In a second stage, we optimized (L₁₈) the concentration of nutrients in the culture medium to determine whether this modification would increase the production of β-glucosidase. The optimal conditions for A. niger CDBB-H-175 were as follows (%, w/v): NaNO₃, 0.3; KCl, 0.3; KH₂PO₄, 0.15; NH₄NO₃, 0.1; NH₄H₂PO₄, 0.1; MgSO₄?·?7H₂O, 0.05; yeast extract, 0.1. The production of β-glucosidase under these conditions was 1207.9?U/mL. Enzymatic assays were used to characterize the enzyme; the optimum temperature and pH of β-glucosidase produced by the four selected micro-organisms were found to be 65°C and 5.0, respectively. We determined the Michaelis–Menten constants (K_m) only for A. niger CDBB-H-175 and CDBB-H-176; the values were 2.7 and 2.2?mM, respectively.     

Adding value to a toxic residue from the biodiesel industry: production of two distinct pool of lipases from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Penicillium simplicissimum</Emphasis> in castor bean waste

In countries with a strong agricultural base, such as Brazil, the generation of solid residues is very high. In some cases, these wastes present no utility due to their toxic and allergenic compounds, and so are an environmental concern. The castor bean (Ricinus communis) is a promising candidate for biodiesel production. From the biodiesel production process developed in the Petrobras Research Center using castor bean seeds, a toxic and alkaline waste is produced. The use of agroindustrial wastes in solid-state fermentation (SSF) is a very interesting alternative for obtaining enzymes at low cost. Therefore, in this work, castor bean waste was used, without any treatment, as a culture medium for fungal growth and lipase production. The fungus Penicillium simplicissimum was able to grow and produce an enzyme in this waste. In order to maximize the enzyme production, two sequential designs–Plackett-Burman (variable screening) followed by central composite rotatable design (CCRD)—were carried out, attaining a considerable increase in lipase production, reaching an activity of 155.0 U/g after 96 h of fermentation. The use of experimental design strategy was efficient, leading to an increase of 340% in the lipase production. Zymography showed the presence of different lipases in the crude extract. The partial characterization of such extract showed the occurrence of two lipase pools with distinct characteristics of pH and temperature of action: one group with optimal action at pH 6.5 and 45°C and another one at pH 9.0 and 25°C. These results demonstrate how to add value to a toxic and worthless residue through the production of lipases with distinct characteristics. This pool of enzymes, produced through a low cost methodology, can be applied in different areas of biotechnology.     

Gene Identification and Functional Analysis of Methylcitrate Synthase in Citric Acid-Producing Aspergillus niger WU-2223L

Methylcitrate synthase (EC 2.3.3.5; MCS) is a key enzyme of the methylcitric acid cycle localized in the mitochondria of eukaryotic cells and related to propionic acid metabolism. In this study, cloning of the gene mcsA encoding MCS and heterologous expression of it in Escherichia coli were performed for functional analysis of the MCS of citric acid-producing Aspergillus niger WU-2223L. Only one copy of mcsA (1,495 bp) exists in the A. niger WU-2223L chromosome. It encodes a 51-kDa polypeptide consisting of 465 amino acids containing mitochondrial targeting signal peptides. Purified recombinant MCS showed not only MCS activity (27.6 U/mg) but also citrate synthase (EC 2.3.3.1; CS) activity (26.8 U/mg). For functional analysis of MCS, mcsA disruptant strain DMCS-1, derived from A. niger WU-2223L, was constructed. Although A. niger WU-2223L showed growth on propionate as sole carbon source, DMCS-1 showed no growth. These results suggest that MCS is an essential enzyme in propionic acid metabolism, and that the methylcitric acid cycle operates functionally in A. niger WU-2223L. To determine whether MCS makes a contribution to citric acid production, citric acid production tests on DMCS-1 were performed. The amount of citric acid produced from glucose consumed by DMCS-1 in citric acid production medium over 12 d of cultivation was on the same level to that by WU-2223L. Thus it was found that MCS made no contribution to citric acid production from glucose in A. niger WU-2223L, although MCS showed CS activity.     

Optimization of cellulase production in batch fermentation byTrichoderma reesei

Maximum cellulase production was sought by comparing the activities of the cellulases produced by differentTrichoderma reesei strains andAspergillus niger. Trichoderma reesei Rut-C30 showed higher cellulase activity than otherTrichoderma reesei strains andAspergillus niger that was isolated from soil. By optimizing the cultivation condition during shake flask culture, higher cellulase production could be achieved. The FP (filter paper) activity of 3.7 U/ml and CMCase (Carboxymethylcellulase) activity of 60 U/ml were obtained from shake flask culture. When it was grown in 2.5L fermentor, where pH and DO levels are controlled, the Enzyme activities were 133.35 U/ml (CMCase) and 11.67 U./ml (FP), respectively. Ammonium sulfate precipitation method was used to recover enzymes from fermentation broth. The dried cellulase powder showed 3074.9 U/g of CMCase activity and 166.7 U/g of FP activity with 83.5% CMCase recovery.     

Production of an Antifungal Chitinase from Enterobacter sp. NRG4 and its Application in Protoplast Production

Summary In this study flake chitin, crab shell chitin, mushroom stalk, fungal cell wall, wheat bran and rice bran were used as substrate for chitinase production by Enterobacter sp. NRG4 under submerged and solid state fermentation (SSF) conditions. Enterobacter sp. NRG4 produced 72 and 49.7 U/ml of chitinase in presence of cell walls of Candida albicans and Fusarium moniliforme in submerged fermentation. Under SSF, maximum chitinase production was 965 U/g solid substrate with flake chitin and wheat bran (1:3 ratio) at 75% moisture level after 144 h. The purified chitinase inhibited hyphal extension of Fusarium moniliforme, Aspergillus niger, Mucor rouxi and Rhizopus nigricans. The chitinase was effective in release of protoplasts from Trichoderma ressei, Pleurotus florida, Agaricus bisporus and Aspergillus niger. Protoplasts yield was maximum with 60 mg of 24 h old fungal mycelium incubated with 60 U of chitinase and 60 U of cellulase.     

Lipase-catalyzed regioselective protection/deprotection of hydroxyl groups of the isoflavone irilone isolated from Iris germanica

The regioselective acylation of irilone, isolated from Iris germanica, with vinylacetate and propenylacetate and deacylation of irilone diacetate with n-butanol were studied using lipases from Aspergillus niger, Mucor miehei, Pseudomonas cepacia, Candida cylindracea, porcine pancreas and Candida antarctica. Significant conversion of irilone to 4′-O-acetylirilone was achieved using P. cepacia lipase, while irilone diacetate was converted to 5-O-acetylirilone by the enzymatic action of lipases from M. miechei, P. cepacia and porcine pancreas under different experimental conditions. This preferential protection/deprotection furnishes an opportunity to modify the structure of irilone by selective derivatization that may help to change its biological activities by modifying its amphiphilic/lipophilic balance.     

Statistical optimization of glucose oxidase production from Aspergillus niger NRC9 under submerged fermentation using response surface methodology

Response surface methodology (RSM), employing the fractional factorial design (FFD) was used to optimize the fermentation medium for the production of glucose oxidase (GOD) from a marine isolate (NRC9) of Aspergillus niger under submerged fermentation. The design was employed by selecting glucose, CaCO_3, ammonium phosphate and MgSO₄ concentrations as model factors by ‘one variable at a time’ experiment. A second-order quadratic model and response surface method showed that the optimum concentrations (g/l) glucose, 100; CaCO₃, 25; (NH₄)₂HPO₄, 1.8 and 0.4 of MgSO₄, resulted in an improvement of GOD production (170?±?0.88 U/ml) as compared to the initial level (109.81?±?1.38 U/ml) after four days of incubation at 200 rpm and 30 °C, whereas its predicted value obtained by the quadratic model was 164.36 U/ml. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed a high coefficient of determination value (R ²) of 0.967, ensuring a satisfactory adjustment of the quadratic model with the experimental data. This is the first report on production of glucose oxidase from a marine fungal isolate, Aspergillus niger NRC9, using statistical experimental design and response surface methodology in optimization of its production under submerged fermentation.     

Aerobiological,biochemical and immunological studies on some of the dominant <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aspergillus</Emphasis> species of South Assam (India)

Two years atmospheric survey of air-borne Aspergillus was carried out in the environmental conditions of South Assam. The survey revealed a total of 16 different species of Aspergillus with marked seasonal and annual variations. Aspergillus fumigatus was found to be the dominant atmospheric fungal species followed by Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, etc. Among the sample extracts tested, highest quantity of soluble protein was recorded in Aspergillus fumigatus (95.0 mg/g) whereas highest quantity of soluble carbohydrate (40.8 mg/g) and free amino acid (135.0 mg/g) was recorded in the sample extract of Aspergillus niger per gram of dry weight, respectively. The highest numbers of protein polypeptide bands were detected in the sample extract of Aspergillus fumigatus followed by Aspergillus flavus and lowest in Aspergillus niger. The maximum numbers of immunoglobulin E binding protein fractions were found in Aspergillus fumigatus, followed by Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus clavatus, etc.     

Proteolytic Activity in Commercial Triacylglycerol Hydrolase Preparations

The proteolytic activity of 34 commercial lipase preparations (CLP) was determined using a labeled casein substrate. Only three CLP were free from proteolytic activity. Porcine pancreatic lipases exhibited levels of proteolytic activity comparable to or greater than that of a reference porcine trypsin. Bacterial lipases contained up to 10% of the proteolytic activity of commercial trypsin. Proteolytic activities in lipases from fungal species were present at low levels (<1% of the activity in trypsin). Among preparations of fungal origin, lipases from Aspergillus niger and Mucor javanicus were highest in proteolytic activity; Aspergillus oryzae and Pseudomonas cepacia lipases were lowest. Proteins in CLP were separated by non-denaturing PAGE; between 4 and 17 protein bands in the range &#104 6.5- &#83 200 kDa were observed. With the exception of a single pair of Rhizomucor miehei lipases, the distribution of apparent molecular weights (AMW) was unique to each preparation. Bands of caseinolytic activity in commercial lipases were visualized by applying a zymographic technique. CLP contained between 0 (P. cepacia lipases) and 6 (porcine pancreas lipase and Rhizopus oryzae lipase) discrete proteolytic bands. Common themes of proteolytic AMW emerged, including 21-23 kDa and 30-35 kDa bands.