Reduction of phytic acid content in canola meal by Aspergillus ficuum in solid state fermentation process

Summary Solid state fermentation (SSF) of canola meal has been carried out to reduce its phytic acid content using Aspergillus ficuum NRRL 3135. In certain batches, a complete reduction of phytic acid content in canola meal was achieved in 48 h. A larger amount of biomass in the inoculum and older inoculum increased the rate of phytic acid hydrolysis. The optimum moisture content of the medium was found to be 67% for phytic acid hydrolysis in an SSF process. The substitution of water in the semi-solid medium with acetate buffer resulted in faster reduction of the phytic acid content. A 15% increase in the amount of protein after 120 h of incubation was observed in the treated meal. The crude phytase preparation extracted from the canola meal after it was treated in an SSF process was also used for reduction of the phytic acid content in new batches of canola meal both in semi-solid medium and in liquid medium. In the semi-solid medium, 58% of the phytic acid was hydrolysed at 45°C in 20 h, while 100% hydrolysis was recorded at 50°C in 12 h in the liquid medium. The SSF process seems to be beneficial for the upgrading of canola meal by reducing both its phytic acid content and increasing the amount of protein.Offprint requests to: Z. Duvnjak     

Optimization of phytase production by solid substrate fermentation

The production of phytase by three feed-grade filamentous fungi (Aspergillus ficuum NRRL 3135, Mucor racemosus NRRL 1994 and Rhizopus oligosporus NRRL 5905) on four commonly used natural feed ingredients (canola meal, cracked corn, soybean meal, wheat bran) was studied in solid substrate fermentation (SSF). A. ficuum NRRL 3135 had the highest yield [15 IU phytase activity/g dry matter (DM)] on wheat bran. By optimizing the supplementation of wheat bran with starch and (NH₄)₂SO₄, phytase production increased to 25 IU/g DM. Optimization was carried out by Plackett-Burman and central composite experimental designs. Using optimized medium, phytase, phosphatase, alpha-amylase and xylanase production by A. ficuum NRRL 3135 was studied in Erlenmeyer flask and tray SSF. By scaling up SSF from flasks to stationary trays, activities of 20 IU phytase activity/g DM were reproducibly obtained. Electronic Publication     

The effect of phosphate concentration on phytase production and the reduction of phytic acid content in canola meal by Aspergillus carbonarius during a solid-state fermentation process

The use of canola meal, an abundant side-product of canola oil processing in Canada, as animal feed is hampered by high phytic acid levels that reduce metal cation availability. Aspergillus carbonarius grows well in a solid canola meal medium, produces phytase and reduces the phytic acid content to zero. Inorganic phosphate addition at a concentration of 1 mg and 5 mg/110 g solid-state culture system results in better growth of the microorganism, higher rates and levels of phytase production, and faster reduction of phytic acid content. Phosphate concentrations of 50mg and 100 mg/110 g inoculated system had a negative effect affecting primarily the initial rates of biomass and phytase production and phytic acid content reduction. Models that predict biomass production (expressed as glucosamine content) and phytase, as well as the reduction of phytic acid content in the solid-state cultures supplemented with phosphate are reported. They fit the experimental results reasonably well (with a maximum deviation of 7%).     

Phytase production and decrease of phytic acid content in canola meal byAspergillus carbonarius in solid-state fermentation

Solid-state fermentation (SSF) usingAspergillus carbonarius with canola meal as a substrate showed that production of phytase was associated with growth; maximum activity was achieved after 72 h. Apparent 25% and 10% increases in the protein content of the canola meal were noticed after 48 h and 72 h, respectively but total carbohydrate concentration had fallen by 25% by the end of fermentation. The rate of decrease of phytic acid content was optimum with a moisture content between 53% and 60%; homogenization of the inoculum for 120 s led to the greatest biomass and lowest phytic acid content. Inoculation of sterile meal led to lower phytic acid contents than inoculation of non-sterile meal.The authors are with the Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada     

Culture conditions for a new phytase-producing fungus

Extracellular phytase produced by Aspergillus sp. 5990 showed a 5-fold higher activity in liquid culture when compared with cultures of Aspergillus ficuum NRRL 3135. The optimum fermentation conditions were determined to be 35 °C, neutral pH, and 4 days incubation. The phytase had a higher optimum temperature for its activity than the commercial enzyme, Natuphos, from Aspergillus ficuum NRRL 3135.     

Phytase production byAspergillus ficuum on semisolid substrate

Summary Phytase production byAspergillus ficuum was studied using solid state cultivation on several cereal grains and legume seeds. The microbial phytase was used to hydrolyze the phytate in soybean meal and cotton seed meal. Wheat bran, soybean meal, cottonseed meal and corn meal supported good fungal growth and yielded a high level of phytase when an adequate amount of moisture was present. The level of phytase production on solid substrate was higher than that obtained by submerged liquid fermentation. Higher levels of phosphorus (more than 10 mg Pi/100 g substrate) in the growth medium (static culture) inhibited phytase synthesis, and the degree of phosphorus inhibition was less apparent in semisolid medium than in liquid medium. A static cultivation on semisolid substrate produced a higher level of phytase (2-20-fold) than that obtained by agitated cultivation. The minimal amount of water required for growth and enzyme production on those substrates was about 15%, while the optimum level for phytase production was between 25 and 35% and that for cell growth was above 50%. Optimum pH for phytase production was between 4 and 6.A ficuum grew well on raw (unheated) substrate containing a minimal amount of water and produced as much phytase as on heated substrate. About half of the phytic acid in soybean meal and cottonseed meal was hydrolyzed by treatment withA. ficuum phytase.     

DNA mediated transformation of Aspergillus ficuum

Summary Two DNA-mediated transformation systems were successfully adapted to Aspergillus ficuum. Both the Escherichia coli hygromycin B resistance gene and the A. nidulans amdS gene transformation systems produced stable A. ficuum NRRL 3135 transformants. Cotransformation with the E. coli lacZ gene was also achieved with the hygromycin B system. In cotransformation a second unselected gene, in this case the lacZ gene which codes for -galactosidase, was also integrated and expressed in hygromycin B transformants. Since both of these transformation systems utilized dominant selection markers, they are potentially useful in other genetically uncharacterized filamentous fungi.     

Screening of phytase producers and optimization of culture conditions for submerged fermentation

Phytase (myo-inositol-hexakisphosphate phosphohydrolase) is an enzyme, which breaks down phytate to inositol and orthophosphoric acid. Phytase has been used as feed additive, and in some medical applications for years. To date, phytase production has been usually performed as a solid-state fermentation with small production volumes. Therefore, the aim of this study was to increase the phytase activity in submerged fermentations by screening several microorganism strains based on the literature to select the most productive phytase producer and optimizing growth parameters such as temperature, pH, and aeration level using response surface methodology (RSM). As a result, among the four different microorganisms evaluated, Aspergillus ficuum (NRRL 3135) was selected as the most productive strain. Optimum temperature, pH, and aeration values were determined as 33 °C, 4.5, and 0.9 vvm, respectively, for A. ficuum in 2-l batch submerged phytase productions. Under these conditions, phytase activity was measured as 2.27 U/ml. Therefore, this is a unique study showing the production of phytase with A. ficuum successfully in submerged fermentation as opposed to the traditional solid-state fermentation.     

Effects of Microorganisms on the Peroxidation of Lipid and Fatty Acid Composition of Fermented Fish Meal

Fermentation of waste fish treated with Aspergillus oryzae, Aspergillus sojae K, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae IFO 2114 were studied independently and combined. Three microorganisms decreased the POV, MDA, and COY of fish meal at different rates. The optimum conditions for fermentation with the combination of three microorganisms was found at 30°C for 20–hr fermentation. Almost no difference was observed in the chemical composition or amino acid spectra of the protein hydrolysates of the fermented and nonfermented fish meal. On the quantity of water-soluble amino acids, the highest increase was in glutamate among others, but histidine was decreased by the combination of the three microorganisms. With A. oryzae, the highest increase was in phenylalanine and with A. sojae K in threonine. A great change was observed in some fatty acids content. Myristic acid (14:0) was decreased while the highest increase occurred in the linoleic acid (18: 2) content by fermentation with the combination of three microorganisms. The same phenomenum was observed with A. oryzae and A. sojae K. S. cerevisiae has a weaker effect than A. oryzae and A. sojae K in fermentation of waste fish.     

Cloning and Nucleotide Sequence of the Endoinulinase-Encoding Gene, inu2, from Aspergillus ficuum

A 2.3 kb DNA fragment that contains a gene encoding endoinulinase, inu2, from Aspergillus ficuum ATCC 16882 was isolated and analyzed. It includes an open reading frame of 1,551 bp, coding for a polypeptide with calculated molecular weight of 55,790 Da, including a putative signal peptide of 22 amino acids. Alignment of amino acid sequences revealed 73.3% identity and 93.9% similarity between A. ficuum and Penicillium purpurogenum endoinulinase.     

Characteristics of phytase produced by Aspergillus carbonarius NRC 401121 in canola meal

Aspergillus carbonarius NRC 401121 phytase was produced on canola meal in a solid-state fermentation process. A K_m value of 0.345 mM and a v_max of 0.81 units were determined for sodium phytate. The optimum pH and temperature were 4.7 and 53°C, respectively. Activation of the enzyme occurred when it was preincubated at higher temperatures for a period of time. The energy of activation, the entropy and the enthalpy changes were evaluated to be 7,800 cal/mole, 74 cal/(mole · K) and 24,000 cal/mole for this enzyme, respectively. The effect of time and the extractant: solid state culture ratio upon the single step extraction of phytase from a solid-state culture were evaluated. Mathematical correlations which fit the experimental data reasonably well were proposed for some of the studied processes.     

Comparison of three methods for the determination of sinapic acid ester content in enzymatically treated canola meals

The enzymatic reduction of sinapic acid ester content in canola meal using polyphenol oxidase from the fungusT. versicolor was investigated. To determine the effectiveness of this new process, the results obtained using two spectrophotometric methods and an HPLC analytical method for assaying sinapic acid ester content in the treated and untreated meals were compared. It was found that all the methods gave practically the same results when the samples from untreated canola meals were analysed. However, both of the spectrophotometric methods overestimated the sinapic acid ester content in the enzymatically treated meal by 7%–20%, as compared to the results obtained using HPLC. It was found that the sensitivity limits for the spectrophotometric methods used for the determination of sinapic acid ester content in enzymatically treated canola meals were 2.67 g and 1.47 g phenolics/kg meal for the direct and chemical spectrophotometric methods respectively. A correlation between the results obtained using the spectrophotometric and HPLC methods is given. The enzymatic treatment resulted in a negligible amount of phenolics in the treated meal.     

Fermentation of soybean meal withAspergillus usamii improves zinc availability in rats

Soybean meal was fermented withAspergillus usamii to improve zinc availability through the degradation of phytic acid. Rats fed a diet containing fermented soybean meal showed greater femoral zinc than did animals fed a diet containing regular soybean meal. Zinc solubility in the small intestine was higher in the rats fed fermented soybean meal than in the rats fed regular soybean meal. These results suggested that fermentation withAspergillus usamii improved zinc availability in dietary soybean meal, which was induced by the increase of zinc solubility in the small intestine. Adding the same amount of phytate that was contained in the regular soybean mealbased diet did not affect the amount of zinc present in rats fed a fermented soybean meal-based diet with sodium phytate. Phytase activity was found in fermented soybean meal, and this activity may degrade added phytate in fermented soybean meal-based diet.     

The effect of surfactants on the phytase production and the reduction of the phytic acid content in canola meal byAspergillus carbonarius during a solid state fermentation process

Summary During the growth of A. carbonarius, the rates of biomass growth, phytase production and phytic acid content reduction in canola meal media during solid state fermentation were higher in the presence of Na-oleate or Tween-80 than in the control medium which was not supplemented with these surfactants. Addition of Triton X-100 had a negative effect on the studied processes.The optimum concentration of Na-oleate in solid state culture media was 1%.     

Decrease of tannin content in canola meal by an enzyme preparation from Trametes versicolor

Summary An enzyme preparation from Trametes versicolor was used to decrease the tannin content in commercially available canola meal. More than 80% reduction was observed after 30 min of processing using an enzyme concentration equivalent to 20 nkat. The process was optimal at pH 6.0 and at a temperature of 50°C. The buffering capacity of canola meal was shown.     

Production of citric acid by immobilized dried reactivatedAspergillus niger

Summary Immobilization followed by drying was fried as a new technique for obtaining small beads which might be more suitable for industrial fermentations and for the storage of the immobilized microorganisms.Aspergillus niger NRRL 2270 was used to produce citric acid in free, immobilized, and immobilized dried reactivated (IDR) forms. The productivity based on the bead volume used increased several folds with the use of IDR cells although the absolute level of citric acid did not increase.     

Targeted modulation of sinapine biosynthesis pathway for seed quality improvement in Brassica napus

Arabidopsis thaliana and other members of the Brassicaceae accumulate the hydroxycinnamic acid esters sinapoylmalate in leaves and sinapoylcholine in seeds. Our recent understanding of the phenylpropanoid pathway although complex has enabled us to perturb the sinapine biosynthesis pathway in plants. Sinapine (sinapoylcholine) is the most abundant antinutritional phenolic compound in seeds of cruciferous species and therefore is a target for elimination in canola (Brassica napus) meal. We analysed A. thaliana mutants with specific blocks in the phenylpropanoid pathway and identified mutant lines with significantly altered sinapine content. Knowledge gained from A. thaliana was extended to B. napus and the corresponding phenylpropanoid pathway genes were manipulated to disrupt sinapine biosynthesis in B. napus. Based on our understanding of the A. thaliana genetics, we have successfully developed transgenic B. napus lines with ferulic acid 5-hydroxylase (FAH) and sinapoylglucose:choline sinapoyltransferase (SCT)-antisense. These lines with concomitant downregulation of FAH and SCT showed up to 90% reduction in sinapine. In addition to reduced sinapine content, we detected higher levels of free choline accumulation in the seeds. These results indicate that it is possible to develop plants with low sinapine and higher choline by manipulating specific steps in the biosynthetic pathway. These improvements are important to add value to canola meal for livestock feed. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Enzymatic decrease in the phenolic content of canola meal using concentrated aqueous or aqueous/hexane slurries

An enzymatic process to decrease the phenolic content in canola meal was investigated. The new method was based on the addition of an enzyme preparation from the white-rot fungus Trametes versicolor to concentrated meal-buffer slurries. This approach eliminated the extraction of the valuable meal components such as proteins and carbohydrates. Two systems were considered: (i) slurries with canola meal concentrations higher than 33% [w/v]; (ii) slurries with canola meal concentrations equal to or less than 12.5% [w/v] with n-hexane as the main component of the continuous phase. The concentration of sinapic acid esters decreased by 99% after a 1.5, 2 and 3 hour long treatment of the meal with an initial moisture content of 75% at 90°C, 70°C and 50°C, respectively. The process was carried out at temperaturs as high as 110°C. Both the enzyme and the moisture concentrations influenced the enzymatic process and their action was coupled. The concentration of oxygen strongly affected the process. The enzymatic process was able to be carried out in the presence of hexane as the main component of the continuous phase. The optimum temperature for such a process was 30–40°C, At 30°C, after 1 h of treatment, the meal phenolic content was decreased by 97%. The water uptake by the meal was diminished in the presence of hexane.     

Conversion of Unsaturated Fatty Acids by Bacteria Isolated from Compost

A compost mixture amended with soybean oil was enriched in microorganisms that transformed unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs). When oleic acid or 10-ketostearic acid was the selective fatty acid, Sphingobacterium thalpophilum (NRRL B-23206, NRRL B-23208, NRRL B-23209, NRRL B-23210, NRRL B-23211, NRRL B-23212), Acinetobacter spp. (NRRL B-23207, NRRL B-23213), and Enterobacter cloacae (NRRL B-23264, NRRL B-23265, NRRL B-23266) represented isolates that produced either hydroxystearic acid, ketostearic acid, or incomplete decarboxylations. When ricinoleic (12-hydroxy-9-octadecenoic) acid was the selective UFA, Enterobacter cloacae (NRRL B-23257, NRRL B-23267) and Escherichia sp. (NRRL B-23259) produced 12-C and 14-C homologous compounds, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (NRRL B-23256, NRRL B-23260) converted ricinoleate to a trihydroxyoctadecenoate product. Also, various Enterobacter, Pseudomonas, and Serratia spp. appeared to decarboxylate linoleate substrate incompletely. These saprophytic, compost bacteria were aerobic or facultative anaerobic Gram-negative and decomposed UFAs through decarboxylation, hydroxylation, and hydroperoxidation mechanisms. Received: 3 November 1998 / Accepted: 30 November 1998     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">APHO1</Emphasis> from the yeast <Emphasis Type="Italic">Arxula adeninivorans</Emphasis> encodes an acid phosphatase of broad substrate specificity

The extracellular acid phosphatase-encoding Arxula adeninivorans APHO1 gene was isolated using degenerated specific oligonucleotide primers in a PCR screening approach. The gene harbours an ORF of 1449 bp encoding a protein of 483 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 52.4 kDa. The sequence includes an N-terminal secretion sequence of 17 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence exhibits 54% identity to phytases from Aspergillus awamori, Asp. niger and Asp. ficuum and a more distant relationship to phytases of the yeasts Candida albicans and Debaryomyces hansenii (36–39% identity). The sequence contains the phosphohistidine signature and the conserved active site sequence of acid phosphatases. APHO1 expression is induced under conditions of phosphate limitation. Enzyme isolates from wild and recombinant strains with the APHO1 gene expressed under control of the strong A. adeninivorans-derived TEF1 promoter were characterized. For both proteins, a molecular mass of approx. 350 kDa, corresponding to a hexameric structure, a pH optimum of pH 4.8 and a temperature optimum of 60°C were determined. The preferred substrates include p-nitrophenyl-phosphate, pyridoxal-5-phosphate, 3-indoxyl-phosphate, 1-naphthylphosphate, ADP, glucose-6-phosphate, sodium-pyrophosphate, and phytic acid. Thus the enzyme is a secretory acid phosphatase with phytase activity and not a phytase as suggested by strong homology to such enzymes.