Isolation and partial characterization of feruloylated oligosaccharides from maize bran

An esterase from the basidiomycete Pleurotus sapidus hydrolyzes feruloylated saccharides

Investigating the secretion of esterases by the basidiomycetous fungus Pleurotus sapidus in a Tween 80-rich nutrient medium, an enzyme was discovered that hydrolyzed the ester bond of feruloylated saccharides. The enzyme was purified by ion exchange and size exclusion chromatography. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis showed a monomeric protein of about 55 kDa. The complete coding sequence with an open reading frame of 1,665 bp encoded a protein (Est1) consisting of 554 amino acids. The enzyme showed no significant homology to any published feruloyl esterase sequences, but possessed putative conserved domains of the lipase/esterase superfamily. Substrate specificity studies classified the new enzyme as type-A feruloyl esterase, hydrolyzing methyl ferulate, methyl sinapate, and methyl p-coumarate but no methyl caffeate. The enzyme had a pH optimum of 6 and a temperature optimum at 50 °C. Ferulic acid was efficiently released from ferulated saccharides, and the feruloyl esterase exhibited moderate stability in biphasic systems (50 % toluene or tert-butylmethyl ether).

XAX1 from glycosyltransferase family 61 mediates xylosyltransfer to rice xylan

Xylan is the second most abundant polysaccharide on Earth and represents an immense quantity of stored energy for biofuel production. Despite its importance, most of the enzymes that synthesize xylan have yet to be identified. Xylans have a backbone of β-1,4-linked xylose residues with substitutions that include α-(1→2)-linked glucuronosyl, 4-O-methyl glucuronosyl, and α-1,2- and α-1,3-arabinofuranosyl residues. The substitutions are structurally diverse and vary by taxonomy, with grass xylan representing a unique composition distinct from dicots and other monocots. To date, no enzyme has yet been identified that is specific to grass xylan synthesis. We identified a xylose-deficient loss-of-function rice mutant in Os02g22380, a putative glycosyltransferase in a grass-specific subfamily of family GT61. We designate the mutant xax1 for xylosyl arabinosyl substitution of xylan 1. Enzymatic fingerprinting of xylan showed the specific absence in the mutant of a peak, which was isolated and determined by (1)H-NMR to be (β-1,4-Xyl)(4) with a β-Xylp-(1→2)-α-Araf-(1→3). Rice xax1 mutant plants are deficient in ferulic and coumaric acid, aromatic compounds known to be attached to arabinosyl residues in xylan substituted with xylosyl residues. The xax1 mutant plants exhibit an increased extractability of xylan and increased saccharification, probably reflecting a lower degree of diferulic cross-links. Activity assays with microsomes isolated from tobacco plants transiently expressing XAX1 demonstrated xylosyltransferase activity onto endogenous acceptors. Our results provide insight into grass xylan synthesis and how substitutions may be modified for increased saccharification for biofuel generation.

Substituent-specific antibody against glucuronoxylan reveals close association of glucuronic acid and acetyl substituents and distinct labeling patterns in tree species

Immunolabeling can be used to locate plant cell wall carbohydrates or other components to specific cell types or to specific regions of the wall. Some antibodies against xylans exist; however, many partly react with the xylan backbone and thus provide limited information on the type of substituents present in various xylans. We have produced a monoclonal antibody which specifically recognizes glucopyranosyl uronic acid (GlcA), or its 4-O-methyl ether (meGlcA), substituents in xylan and has no cross-reactivity with linear or arabinofuranosyl-substituted xylans. The UX1 antibody binds most strongly to (me)GlcA substitutions at the non-reducing ends of xylan chains, but has a low cross-reactivity with internal substitutions as well, at least on oligosaccharides. The antibody labeled plant cell walls from both mono- and dicotyledons, but in most tissues an alkaline pretreatment was needed for antibody binding. The treatment removed acetyl groups from xylan, indicating that the vicinity of glucuronic acid substituents is also acetylated. The novel labeling patterns observed in the xylem of tree species suggested that differences within the cell wall exist both in acetylation degree and in glucuronic acid content.

Synthesis of highly water-soluble feruloyl diglycerols by esterification of an Aspergillus niger feruloyl esterase

Ferulic acid (FA) is a component of plant cell walls that has applications in food, cosmetic, and health products, but its applications are limited by its high insolubility. We synthesized water-soluble FA derivatives by esterification of FA with diglycerol (DG) using feruloyl esterase purified from a commercial enzyme preparation produced by Aspergillus niger. The major reaction product, FA-DG1, was determined to be γ-feruloyl-α,α'-DG by NMR and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry analyses. FA-DG1 is a sticky liquid whose water solubility (>980 mg/ml) is dramatically higher than that of FA (0.69 mg/ml). Suitable conditions for esterification of FA with DG were 100 mg of FA in the presence of 1 g of DG and 0.1 ml of 1 M phosphate buffer (pH 6.0) at 50 °C under reduced pressure. Under these conditions, 168 mg of feruloyl DGs (FA-DG1, 2, and 3) was obtained, corresponding to a 95 % conversion rate of FA. We also developed a batch method which resulted in synthesis of 729 mg of feruloyl DGs and 168 mg of diferuloyl DGs from 600 mg of FA and 1 g of DG (corresponding to conversion of 69 % of the FA to feruloyl DGs and 21 % of the FA to diferuloyl DGs). As an anti-oxidant, feruloyl DGs were essentially equal to FA and butyl hydroxytoluene in scavenging 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radicals. In contrast, the scavenging abilities of diferuloyl DGs were twice those of feruloyl DGs.

Biochemical characterization and relative expression levels of multiple carbohydrate esterases of the xylanolytic rumen bacterium Prevotella ruminicola 23 grown on an ester-enriched substrate

We measured expression and used biochemical characterization of multiple carbohydrate esterases by the xylanolytic rumen bacterium Prevotella ruminicola 23 grown on an ester-enriched substrate to gain insight into the carbohydrate esterase activities of this hemicellulolytic rumen bacterium. The P. ruminicola 23 genome contains 16 genes predicted to encode carbohydrate esterase activity, and based on microarray data, four of these were upregulated >2-fold at the transcriptional level during growth on an ester-enriched oligosaccharide (XOS(FA,Ac)) from corn relative to a nonesterified fraction of corn oligosaccharides (AXOS). Four of the 16 esterases (Xyn10D-Fae1A, Axe1-6A, AxeA1, and Axe7A), including the two most highly induced esterases (Xyn10D-Fae1A and Axe1-6A), were heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli, purified, and biochemically characterized. All four enzymes showed the highest activity at physiologically relevant pH (6 to 7) and temperature (30 to 40°C) ranges. The P. ruminicola 23 Xyn10D-Fae1A (a carbohydrate esterase [CE] family 1 enzyme) released ferulic acid from methylferulate, wheat bran, corn fiber, and XOS(FA,Ac), a corn fiber-derived substrate enriched in O-acetyl and ferulic acid esters, but exhibited negligible activity on sugar acetates. As expected, the P. ruminicola Axe1-6A enzyme, which was predicted to possess two distinct esterase family domains (CE1 and CE6), released ferulic acid from the same substrates as Xyn10D-Fae1 and was also able to cleave O-acetyl ester bonds from various acetylated oligosaccharides (AcXOS). The P. ruminicola 23 AxeA1, which is not assigned to a CE family, and Axe7A (CE7) were found to be acetyl esterases that had activity toward a broad range of mostly nonpolymeric acetylated substrates along with AcXOS. All enzymes were inhibited by the proximal location of other side groups like 4-O-methylglucuronic acid, ferulic acid, or acetyl groups. The unique diversity of carbohydrate esterases in P. ruminicola 23 likely gives it the ability to hydrolyze substituents on the xylan backbone and enhances its capacity to efficiently degrade hemicellulose.

Corn fiber, cobs and stover: enzyme-aided saccharification and co-fermentation after dilute acid pretreatment

Three corn feedstocks (fibers, cobs and stover) available for sustainable second generation bioethanol production were subjected to pretreatments with the aim of preventing formation of yeast-inhibiting sugar-degradation products. After pretreatment, monosaccharides, soluble oligosaccharides and residual sugars were quantified. The size of the soluble xylans was estimated by size exclusion chromatography. The pretreatments resulted in relatively low monosaccharide release, but conditions were reached to obtain most of the xylan-structures in the soluble part. A state of the art commercial enzyme preparation, Cellic CTec2, was tested in hydrolyzing these dilute acid-pretreated feedstocks. The xylose and glucose liberated were fermented by a recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain. In the simultaneous enzymatic saccharification and fermentation system employed, a concentration of more than 5% (v/v) (0.2g per g of dry matter) of ethanol was reached.

Prebiotic Activity of Purified Xylobiose Obtained from Ragi (Eleusine coracana, Indaf-15) Bran

The role of prebiotics in improving human health has attracted global attention and the research is mostly focused on the strains belonging to the genera Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. Non-digestible oligosaccharides hold significant role in recent research due to their prebiotic nature. Soluble polysaccharides (SP, 14.4%), isolated from ragi bran consisted mainly of arabinose and xylose with minor quantities of rhamnose, mannose, galactose and glucose. Ragi bran SP subjected to purified endoxylanase (from 96 h ragi malt) treatment to obtain xylo-oligosaccharides which were further purified on Biogel P-2 followed by HPLC. The purified oligosaccharide yielded (RO-1; 17.9%) was identified as xylobiose by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (282 + 23 = 305) and (1)HNMR. In vitro studies carried out using Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus sp. proved the prebiotic nature of the crude xylo-oligosaccharides (XOs) and RO-1. Acetate was found to be the chief short chain fatty acid released during fermentation of both crude XOs and purified xylobiose and 24 h bacterial culture showed high xylanase activity (1020-1690 μU min(-1)).

Determination of the transient period of the EIS complex and investigation of the suppression of blood glucose levels by L-arabinose in healthy adults

PURPOSE

L-Arabinose uncompetitively inhibits intestinal sucrase by forming an enzyme-inhibitor-substrate (EIS) complex. The transient period of the EIS complex affects the time span of inhibition. We determined the apparent transient period of the EIS complex of sucrase, L-arabinose, and sucrose both in vitro and in humans.

METHODS

Intestinal acetone powder (a source of sucrase), L-arabinose, and sucrose were mixed and injected into a dialysis membrane that was placed in a sucrose solution. The production rate of D-glucose and the release rate of L-arabinose from sucrase were determined. We also investigated the suppression of blood glucose levels by L-arabinose in 21 healthy volunteers. Sucrose (40 g) was ingested with or without L-arabinose (2 g), then blood glucose values were measured, which returned to steady-state conditions within 2 h. Volunteers were then given 90 g of commercial adzuki bean jelly containing 40 g sucrose as the sucrose load, and blood glucose values were measured again.

RESULTS

Addition of L-arabinose reduced the production rate of D -glucose compared to the rates measured in the absence of L-arabinose for several hours in vitro. L-Arabinose was released at a lower rate in the presence of sucrose than in its absence. Blood glucose values measured 2 h after sucrose was given with L -arabinose were significantly lower than those measured when L-arabinose was not given (Δ change in maximum value: with L-arabinose, 53.8 ± 19.7 mg/dL; without L-arabinose, 65.0 ± 17.7 mg/dL).

CONCLUSION

The EIS complex of sucrase-L -arabinose-sucrose was maintained for several hours both in vitro and in humans.

Characterization of oligomeric xylan structures from corn fiber resistant to pretreatment and simultaneous saccharification and fermentation

Corn fiber, a byproduct from the corn industry, would be a good source for bioethanol production if the hemicellulose, consisting of polymeric glucoronoarabinoxylans, can be degraded into fermentable sugars. Structural knowledge of the hemicellulose is needed to improve the enzymatic hydrolyses of corn fiber. Oligosaccharides that resisted a mild acid pretreatment and subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis, representing 50% of the starting material, were fractionated on reversed phase and size exclusion material and characterized. The oligosaccharides within each fraction were highly substituted by various compounds. Oligosaccharides containing uronic acid were accumulated in two polar fractions unless also a feruloyl group was present. Feruloylated oligosaccharides, containing mono- and/or diferulic acid, were accumulated within four more apolar fractions. All fractions contained high amounts of acetyl substituents. The data show that complex xylan oligomers are present in which ferulic acid, diferulates, acetic acid, galactose, arabinose, and uronic acids were combined within an oligomer. Hypothetical structures are discussed, demonstrating which enzyme activities are lacking to fully degrade corn glucuronoarabinoxylans.

New hypotheses for the health-protective mechanisms of whole-grain cereals: what is beyond fibre?

Epidemiological studies have clearly shown that whole-grain cereals can protect against obesity, diabetes, CVD and cancers. The specific effects of food structure (increased satiety, reduced transit time and glycaemic response), fibre (improved faecal bulking and satiety, viscosity and SCFA production, and/or reduced glycaemic response) and Mg (better glycaemic homeostasis through increased insulin secretion), together with the antioxidant and anti-carcinogenic properties of numerous bioactive compounds, especially those in the bran and germ (minerals, trace elements, vitamins, carotenoids, polyphenols and alkylresorcinols), are today well-recognised mechanisms in this protection. Recent findings, the exhaustive listing of bioactive compounds found in whole-grain wheat, their content in whole-grain, bran and germ fractions and their estimated bioavailability, have led to new hypotheses. The involvement of polyphenols in cell signalling and gene regulation, and of sulfur compounds, lignin and phytic acid should be considered in antioxidant protection. Whole-grain wheat is also a rich source of methyl donors and lipotropes (methionine, betaine, choline, inositol and folates) that may be involved in cardiovascular and/or hepatic protection, lipid metabolism and DNA methylation. Potential protective effects of bound phenolic acids within the colon, of the B-complex vitamins on the nervous system and mental health, of oligosaccharides as prebiotics, of compounds associated with skeleton health, and of other compounds such as alpha-linolenic acid, policosanol, melatonin, phytosterols and para-aminobenzoic acid also deserve to be studied in more depth. Finally, benefits of nutrigenomics to study complex physiological effects of the 'whole-grain package', and the most promising ways for improving the nutritional quality of cereal products are discussed.

Utilisation of corn (Zea mays) bran and corn fiber in the production of food components

The milling of corn for the production of food constituents results in a number of low-value co-products. Two of the major co-products produced by this operation are corn bran and corn fiber, which currently have low commercial value. This review focuses on current and prospective research surrounding the utilization of corn fiber and corn bran in the production of potentially higher-value food components. Corn bran and corn fiber contain potentially useful components that may be harvested through physical, chemical or enzymatic means for the production of food ingredients or additives, including corn fiber oil, corn fiber gum, cellulosic fiber gels, xylo-oligosaccharides and ferulic acid. Components of corn bran and corn fiber may also be converted to food chemicals such as vanillin and xylitol. Commercialization of processes for the isolation or production of food products from corn bran or corn fiber has been met with numerous technical challenges, therefore further research that improves the production of these components from corn bran or corn fiber is needed.

Feruloylation in grasses: current and future perspectives

In the cell walls of forage grasses, ferulic acid is esterified to arabinoxylans and participates with lignin monomers in oxidative coupling pathways to generate ferulate-polysaccharide-lignin complexes that cross-link the cell wall. The accumulation of ferulates and the cross-linking of arabinoxylans via diferulate esters are hypothesized to function in various processes in plants. The specific roles of arabinoxylan feruloylation as well as the nature, cellular localization, and substrate for arabinoxylans feruloylation of cell walls are reviewed. The various approaches that have been used for assessing the specific roles of feruloylation are described and assessed. I argue that, until recently, the specific role of feruloylation in these various processes has been established largely by indirect experiments and, although these studies reached similar conclusions about the potential importance of wall feruloylation, they suffer from a common problem: namely they depend on correlations between two processes and do not stem from a detailed understanding of the mechanisms of feruloylation. I also argue that the nature of arabinoxylan feruloylation remains uncertain.

Monoclonal antibodies to p-coumarate

p-Coumaric acid is one of the predominant phenolic acids acylating the cell walls of grasses; p-coumarates are mainly esterified by lignins and arabinoxylans. Here we describe the production and characterisation of two monoclonal antibodies against p-coumarates. The 5-O-pCou-Ara(1-->4)Xyl was chemically synthesized and conjugated to a carrier protein. Two interesting antibodies were obtained, hereinafter named INRA-COU1 and INRA-COU2. The specificity of these monoclonal antibodies has been evaluated using competitive-inhibition assays with different oligosaccharides and phenolic compounds. INRA-COU1, recognized free p-coumaric acid or p-coumarate esters. INRA-COU1 did not react with any of the other hydroxycinnamic acids and related compounds found in plants. INRA-COU2, only recognizes esterified p-coumarate. These antibodies were used to study the localization of p-coumarates in the cell walls of grasses. Immunocytochemical analyses indicated noticeable amounts of p-coumarate in the cell walls of the aleurone layer of wheat grain, in the epiderm of cereal straw, and in the exoderm of wheat root. The use of these antibodies will contribute to a better understanding of the organisation and developmental dynamics of cell walls in Graminaceae.

A Brief and Informationally Rich Naming System for Oligosaccharide Motifs of Heteroxylans Found in Plant Cell Walls

The one-letter code system proposed here is a simple method to accurately describe structurally diverse oligosaccharides derived from heteroxylans. Substitutions or ‘molecular decoration(s)’ of main-chain d-xylosyl moieties are designated by unique letters. Hence, an oligosaccharide is described by a series of single letters, beginning with the non-reducing d-xylosyl unit. Superscripted numbers are used to indicate the linkage position(s) of main-chain substitution(s) and, where necessary, superscripted lowercase letter(s) indicate the nature of non-glycosidic groups (e.g., methyl, acetyl, or phenolic derivative moieties) that can be present on the substituents. Although relatively simple and practical to use, this abbreviated system lends itself to the naming of a large number of different combinations of structural building blocks and substituents. In its present state, this system is, therefore, adequate to name and differentiate all currently known complex oligosaccharides derived from heteroxylans and is sufficiently flexible to accommodate new structures as they become available.

Optimization of acid hydrolysis conditions for feruloylated oligosaccharides from rice bran through response surface methodolgy

Response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to optimize the hydrolysis conditions with trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) to obtain the maximum amount of feruloylated oligosaccharides from rice bran. The TFA concentration and hydrolysis time effects on feruloylated oligosaccharides recovery are studied. The optimum hydrolysis conditions for maximizing feruloylated oligosaccharides recovery were 193 mM TFA concentration and 1.36 h of hydrolysis time. Under these conditions the corresponding acyl ferulic group quantity was 78.63 microg in 1 mL of hydrolysate. The model was experimentally verified with a satisfactory coefficient of R (2) (= 0.96). The quantity of acyl ferulic group in the feruloylated oligosaccharides, purified using Amberlite XAD-4, was 916.12 microg/g of rice bran under the optimum hydrolysis conditions. The proposed method accounted for 54.08% of the total acyl ferulic group in rice bran. The results suggest that the proposed conditions were useful in maximizing recovery of feruloylated oligosaccharides from rice bran.

Regulation of ferulic catabolic genes in Pseudomonas fluorescens BF13: involvement of a MarR family regulator

In Pseudomonas fluorescens BF13, the cluster of genes essential for degradation of ferulic to vanillic acid (ech, vdh and fcs) is expressed in ferulic but not in succinic-grown cells. In the upstream region, we identified a gene, ferR, encoding a protein homologous to transcriptional regulators of the MarR family. A ferR knockout mutant (BF13-89) showed a 3.5-fold increase in expression of an ech-reporter gene fusion compared with the parent strain in succinic-grown cells, indicating that the ferR gene product negatively regulates expression of the ferulic catabolic operon in P. fluorescens BF13. Consistent with the increased expression of the catabolic genes in the ferR mutant, BF13-89 showed a shorter (relative to its FerR(+) parent) lag phase during carbon source shift from succinic to ferulic acid. However, expression of ech-lacZ fusion did not increase in BF13-89 grown in the presence of ferulic acid, indicating that FerR has a second function as transcriptional activator. Expression of ech-lacZ in a feruloyl-CoA synthetase-deficient strain revealed unambiguously that FerR-mediated activation of the ferulic catabolic operon is dependent on the thioester product of the feruloyl-CoA synthetase reaction.

A novel recombinant ethyl ferulate esterase from Burkholderia multivorans

AIMS

Isolation and identification of bacterial isolates with specific ferulic acid (FA) esterase activity and cloning of a gene encoding activity.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A micro-organism with ethyl ferulate hydrolysing (EFH) activity was isolated by culture enrichment techniques. Detailed molecular identification based on species-specific primers and two conserved genes (16S rRNA and recA) led to the identification of the isolate as Burkholderia multivorans UWC10. A gene (designated estEFH5) encoding an EFH enzyme was cloned and its nucleotide sequence determined. Translational analysis revealed that estEFH5 encoded a polypeptide of 326 amino acids with an estimated molecular weight of 34.83 kDa. The EstEFH5 primary structure showed a typical serine hydrolase motif (G-H-S-L-G). The estEFH5 gene was over-expressed in Escherichia coli in an insoluble form. Following urea denaturation and in vitro refolding, the enzyme was purified using one-step His Select Nickel chromatographic column.

CONCLUSION

Purified EstEFH5 showed a preference for short-chain rho-nitrophenyl esters (C2 and C3) a typical feature for carboxylesterase. Furthermore, the recombinant enzyme also retained the activity against ethyl ferulate (EF).

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

A biocatalytic process for the production of FA from EF as a model substrate was demonstrated. This is the first report that describes the cloning and expression of a gene encoding FA esterase activity from the genus Burkholderia.

Control of diferulate formation in dicotyledonous and gramineous cell-suspension cultures

Primary cell wall polysaccharides of some plants carry ester-linked feruloyl groups that can be oxidatively dimerised both within the protoplast and after secretion into the apoplast. Apoplastic dimerisation has been postulated to form inter-polysaccharide cross-links, contributing to wall assembly, but this role remains conjectural. By feeding cultured cells with [14C]cinnamate, we monitored the kinetics of polysaccharide-binding and subsequent dimerisation of 14C-labelled feruloyl groups. Cultured maize and spinach cells took up [14C]cinnamate more rapidly than barley, Arabidopsis, Acer, tomato and rose cultures. Maize and spinach cells rapidly formed [14C]feruloyl-polysaccharides and, simultaneously, low-Mr [14C]feruloyl esters. When all free [14C]cinnamate had been consumed, there followed a gradual recruitment of radiolabel from the low-Mr pool into the polysaccharide fraction. A proportion of the [14C]feruloyl-polysaccharides was sloughed into the culture medium, the rest remaining wall-bound. Some of the polysaccharide-bound [14C]feruloyl groups were coupled to form dehydrodiferulates. At least six putative isomers of [14C]dehydrodiferulate were formed both rapidly (thus intra-protoplasmically) and gradually (thus mainly apoplastically). These data do not support the hypothesis that intra-protoplasmic dimerisation yields predominantly one isomer (8-5'-dehydrodiferulate). In maize, apoplastic coupling was much more extensive in 7-day old than in 2-day-old cultures; indeed, in 2-day-old cultures apoplastic coupling could not be evoked even by exogenous H2O2, suggesting strong control of peroxidase action by apoplastic factors. When apoplastic coupling was minimised by exogenous application of peroxidase-blockers (iodide, dithiothreitol and cysteine), a higher proportion of the secreted [14C]feruloyl-polysaccharides was sloughed into the medium. This observation lends support to the hypothesis that feruloyl coupling contributes to wall assembly.

Investigation of ferulate deposition in endosperm cell walls of mature and developing wheat grains by using a polyclonal antibody

A polyclonal antibody has been raised against ferulic acid ester linked to arabinoxylans (AX). 5-O-feruloyl-alpha-L-arabinofuranosyl(1-->4)-beta-D-xylopyranosyl was obtained by chemical synthesis, and was coupled to bovine serum albumin for the immunization of rabbit. The polyclonal antibody designated 5-O-Fer-Ara was highly specific for 5-O-(trans-feruloyl)-L-arabinose (5-O-Fer-Ara) structure that is a structural feature of cell wall AX of plants belonging to the family of Gramineae. The antibody has been used to study the location and deposition of feruloylated AX in walls of aleurone and starchy endosperm of wheat grain. 5-O-Fer-Ara began to accumulate early in aleurone cell wall development (beginning of grain filling, 13 days after anthesis, DAA) and continued to accumulate until the aleurone cells were firmly fixed between the starchy endosperm and the nucelus epidermis (19 DAA). From 26 DAA to maturity, the aleurone cell walls changed little in appearance. The concentration of 5-O-Fer-Ara is high in both peri- and anticlinal aleurone cell walls with the highest accumulation of 5-O-Fer-Ara at the cell junctions at the seed coat interface. The situation is quite different in the starchy endosperm: whatever the stage of development, a low amount of 5-O-Fer-Ara epitope was detected. Contrary to what was observed for aleurone cell walls, no peak of accumulation of feruloylated AX was noticed between 13 and 19 DAA. Visualization of labelled Golgi vesicles suggested that the feruloylation of AX is intracellular. The distribution of (5-O-Fer-Ara) epitope is further discussed in relation to the role of ferulic acid and its dehydrodimers in cell wall structure and tissue organization of wheat grain.

Phenolic acids, lipids, and proteins associated with purified corn fiber arabinoxylans

Corn fiber gum (CFG) is a hemicellulose (arabinoxylan)-enriched fraction obtained by the extraction of corn bran/fiber using a proprietary alkaline hydrogen peroxide process. When purified CFG prepared by this process was hydrolyzed with more concentrated base (1.5 N methanolic KOH at 70 degrees C for 1 hour), considerable amounts of hydroxycinnamic acids (up to 0.015% of mainly ferulic acid) and lipids (up to 0.43%) were released. The released phenolic acids and lipids were identified and quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with detection by both UV and evaporative light-scattering detection (ELSD). During the wet milling of corn, two types of corn fiber are produced: coarse fiber, which is primarily from pericarp, and fine fiber, which is from the endosperm. The total phenolic acid content in CFGs purified from coarse corn fiber (pericarp fiber) is comparatively higher than that purified from fine corn fiber (endosperm fiber). It was also determined that the purified CFG samples contained significant amounts of strongly associated proteins, from 2 to 5% by weight. The presence of these phenolic acids, lipids, and proteins strongly associated or bound to CFG may contribute to its excellent ability to emulsify oil-in-water emulsions.

Bioconversions of ferulic acid, an hydroxycinnamic acid

Ferulic acid is the most abundant hydroxycinnamic acid in the plant world and is ester linked to arabinose, in various plant polysaccharides such as arabinoxylans and pectins. It is a precursor to vanillin, one of the most important aromatic flavor compound used in foods, beverages, pharmaceuticals, and perfumes. This article presents an overview of the various biocatalytic routes, focusing on the relevant biotransformations of ferulic acid using plant sources, microorganisms, and enzymes.

Feruloyl esterases as a tool for the release of phenolic compounds from agro-industrial by-products

Agro-industrial by-products are a potential source of added-value phenolic acids with promising applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Here two purified feruloyl esterases from Aspergillus niger, FAEA and FAEB were tested for their ability to release phenolic acids such as caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid and ferulic acid from coffee pulp, apple marc and wheat straw. Their hydrolysis activity was evaluated and compared with their action on maize bran and sugar beet pulp. The specificity of both enzymes against natural and synthetic substrates was evaluated; particular attention was paid to quinic esters and lignin monomers. The efficiency of both enzymes on model substrates was studied. We show the ability of these enzymes to hydrolyze quinic esters and ester linkages between phenolic acids and lignin monomer.

Esterification of ferulic acid with polyols using a ferulic acid esterase from Aspergillus niger

Commercially available enzyme preparations were screened for enzymes that have a high ability to catalyze direct ester-synthesis of ferulic acid with glycerol. Only a preparation, Pectinase PL "Amano" produced by Aspergillus niger, feruloylated glycerol under the experimental conditions. The enzyme responsible for the esterification was purified and characterized. This enzyme, called FAE-PL, was found to be quite similar to an A. niger ferulic acid esterase (FAE-III) in terms of molecular mass, pH and temperature optima, substrate specificity on synthetic substrates, and the N-terminal amino acid sequence. FAE-PL highly catalyzed direct esterification of ferulic acid and sinapinic acid with glycerol. FAE-PL could feruloylate monomeric sugars including arabinose, fructose, galactose, glucose, and xylose. We determined the suitable conditions for direct esterification of ferulic acid with glycerol to be as follows: 1% ferulic acid in the presence of 85% glycerol and 5% dimethyl sulfoxide at pH 4.0 and 50 degrees C. Under these conditions, 81% of ferulic acid could be converted to 1-glyceryl ferulate, which was identified by (1)H-NMR. The ability of 1-glyceryl ferulate to scavenge 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals was higher than that of the anti-oxidant butyl hydroxytoluene.

Isolation and structural identification of complex feruloylated heteroxylan side-chains from maize bran

Three complex heteroxylan side-chains acylated with ferulate and one arabinosyl ester of p-coumaric acid have been isolated from maize bran insoluble fibre after acidic hydrolysis and fractionation by gel permeation chromatography and semi-preparative RP-HPLC. The complete structural elucidation of all isolated compounds was achieved by 1D/2D NMR spectroscopy and HPLC-MS in combination with methylation analysis. The absolute configuration of the carbohydrate constituents was determined by chiral GC after acidic hydrolysis and trifluoroacetylation. The identified feruloylated tetrasaccharides alpha-d-xylopyranosyl-(1-->3)-alpha-l-galactopyranosyl-(1-->2)-beta-d-xylopyranosyl-(1-->2)-5-O-trans-feruloyl-l-arabinofuranose (FAXGX) and alpha-d-galactopyranosyl-(1-->3)-alpha-l-galactopyranosyl-(1-->2)-beta-d-xylopyranosyl-(1-->2)-5-O-trans-feruloyl-l-arabinofuranose (FAXGG) are the most complex heteroxylan side-chains from maize bran that have been isolated to date. The isolated trisaccharide alpha-l-galactopyranosyl-(1-->2)-beta-d-xylopyranosyl-(1-->2)-5-O-trans-feruloyl-l-arabinofuranose (FAXG) contributes to the complexity of heteroxylan side-chains from maize bran and 5-O-trans-p-coumaroyl-l-arabinofuranose represents the first p-coumaroylated heteroxylan side-chain isolated from cereal grains. Complex feruloylated heteroxylan side-chains are possibly, like ferulate cross-linking of the heteroxylans and binding of heteroxylans to lignin, a factor contributing to limited enzymatic degradation of fibre.