Characterization of phospholipase A2 from the pyloric ceca of two species of starfish, Coscinasterias acutispina and Plazaster borealis

Phospholipases in food industry: a review

Mammal, plant, and mainly microbial phospholipases are continuously being studied, experimented, and some of them are even commercially available at industrial scale for food industry. This is because the use of phospholipases in the production of specific foods leads to attractive advantages, such as yield improvement, energy saving, higher efficiency, improved properties, or better quality of the final product. Furthermore, biocatalysis approaches in the food industry are of current interest as non-pollutant and cleaner technologies. The present chapter reviews the most representative examples of the use of phospholipases in food industry, namely edible oils, dairy, and baking products, emulsifying agents, as well as the current trend to the development of novel molecular species of phospholipids with added-value characteristics.

Enzymatic properties of starfish phospholipase A2 and its application

Industrial phospholipase A2 (PLA2) mainly produced from porcine pancreas is used for production of lysolecithin which is well known as an excellent natural emulsifier for food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries. Since the outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) or religious tradition, it is hoped that the new sources of PLA2, as well as other enzymes and proteins, will be developed instead of mammal. From these backgrounds, we studied for PLA2 from marine organisms and found that starfish Asterina pectinifera PLA2 possesses extremely high activity and characteristic polar-group specificity comparing with commercially available PLA2 from porcine pancreas. Therefore, it was suggested that the starfish A. pectinifera would be a potential source of PLA2, and the PLA2 can be utilized as alternative enzyme of mammalian PLA2.

Characterization of phospholipase A(2) activity in serum of the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)

PLA(2) is a diverse class of enzymes with a broad spectrum of physiological functions. Secretory PLA(2) isoforms have been reported to exhibit important innate immune function in higher vertebrates. This study was conducted to characterize PLA(2) activity in the serum of the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis). We used a glycerophospholipid with a fatty acid in the sn-2 position labeled with a fluorescent probe (BODIPY) to detect and quantify alligator serum PLA(2) activity. Incubation of BODIPY-labeled bacteria with different concentrations of alligator serum resulted in a concentration-dependent detection of PLA(2) activity. Kinetic studies showed that product formation was rapid, with substantial activity within 5 min, and maximal activity at approximately 20 min. The alligator PLA(2) activity was temperature-dependent, with activity at lower temperatures (5-10 degrees C) approximately half of that observed at temperatures of 30-40 degrees C. In addition, the generation of fluorescent product was reduced by a specific inhibitor (p-bromophenacyl bromide) of secretory PLA(2) in a concentration-dependent manner, enforcing the idea that the observed activities are due to a secretory PLA(2) enzyme in alligator serum.

Modification of milk and whey surface properties by enzymatic hydrolysis of milk phospholipids

Phospholipase A1 were shown to improve foaming properties of skim milk and whey, implying that phospholipases can be useful tools for modifying the functionality of dairy products and ingredients. The ability of three fungal phospholipases and porcine pancreatic phospholipase A2 to hydrolyze milk phospholipids was investigated by using sodium deoxycholate-solubilized milk phospholipid and whole milk. The enzyme with the highest activity in milk was Fusarium venenatum phospholipase A1. Milk and whey were subsequently characterized using tensiometry and interfacial shear rheology. The lysophospholipids released from the fat globule membrane decreased the surface tension of skim milk and whey. A dramatic decrease in the surface shear viscous and elastic moduli indicated a shift from a protein-dominated to a surfactant-dominated interface. The surface shear moduli did not correlate with the foam stability, which was improved by phospholipase A1.