Lipolytic Enzyme Production by Immobilized Rhizopus oryzae

Truncated Prosequence of Rhizopus oryzae Lipase: Key Factor for Production Improvement and Biocatalyst Stability

Recombinant Rhizopus oryzae lipase (mature sequence, rROL) was modified by adding to its N-terminal 28 additional amino acids from the C-terminal of the prosequence (proROL) to obtain a biocatalyst more suitable for the biodiesel industry. Both enzymes were expressed in Pichia pastoris and compared in terms of production bioprocess parameters, biochemical properties, and stability. Growth kinetics, production, and yields were better for proROL harboring strain than rROL one in batch cultures. When different fed-batch strategies were applied, lipase production and volumetric productivity of proROL-strain were always higher (5.4 and 4.4-fold, respectively) in the best case. rROL and proROL enzymatic activity was dependent on ionic strength and peaked in 200 mM Tris-HCl buffer. The optimum temperature and pH for rROL were influenced by ionic strength, but those for proROL were not. The presence of these amino acids altered lipase substrate specificity and increased proROL stability when different temperature, pH, and methanol/ethanol concentrations were employed. The 28 amino acids were found to be preferably removed by proteases, leading to the transformation of proROL into rROL. Nevertheless, the truncated prosequence enhanced Rhizopus oryzae lipase heterologous production and stability, making it more appropriate as industrial biocatalyst.

Rhizopus oryzae - Ancient microbial resource with importance in modern food industry

Filamentous fungi are microorganisms widely known for their diverse biochemical features. Fungi can efficiently invade a wide variety of substrates under operational conditions producing numerous bioproducts of interest, such as enzymes, organic acids, aromatic compounds and colorants. An additional interesting characteristic of some fungi is their safety classification for different uses, which guarantees that the bioproducts obtained from them do not contain any toxic component deleterious to humans. Rhizopus oryzae is among this group of fungi and is classified as a GRAS filamentous fungus, commonly used for production of some oriental traditional foods. It is mainly recognized as a good producer of lactic acid; however, its potential for other biotechnological processes is under study. This review analyzes and discusses the current scientific and technical contributions which may maximize the potential of R. oryzae as a producer of different compounds of industrial interest.

Decolourisation of dyes under electro-Fenton process using Fe alginate gel beads

This study focuses on the application of electro-Fenton technique by use of catalytic activity of Fe alginate gel beads for the remediation of wastewater contaminated with synthetic dyes. The Fe alginate gel beads were evaluated for decolourisation of two typical dyes, Lissamine Green B and Azure B under electro-Fenton process. After characterization of Fe alginate gel beads, the pH effect on the process with Fe alginate beads and a comparative study of the electro-Fenton process with free Fe and Fe alginate bead was done. The results showed that the use of Fe alginate beads increases the efficiency of the process; moreover the developed particles show a physical integrity in a wide range of pH (2-8). Around 98-100% of dye decolourisation was obtained for both dyes by electro-Fenton process in successive batches. Therefore, the process was performed with Fe alginate beads in a bubble continuous reactor. High color removal (87-98%) was attained for both dyes operating at a residence time of 30 min, without operational problems and maintaining particle shapes throughout the oxidation process. Consequently, the stable performance of Fe alginate beads opens promising perspectives for fast and economical treatment of wastewater polluted by dyes or similar organic contaminants.