Production of Acid-Stable and High-Maltose-Forming α-Amylase of Bacillus acidicola by Solid-State Fermentation and Immobilized Cells and Its Applicability in Baking

Among matrices used for immobilizing Bacillus acidicola cells [calcium alginate, chitosan + alginate, scotch brite, and polyurethane foam (PUF)], ??-amylase production was highest by PUF-immobilized cells (9.1?U?ml^?1), which is higher than free cells (7.2?U?ml^?1). The PUF-immobilized cells could be reused over seven cycles with sustained ??-amylase production. When three variables (moisture, starch, and ammonium sulfate), which significantly affected enzyme production in solid-state fermentation (SSF), were optimized using response surface methodology, 5.6-fold enhancement in enzyme production was attained. The enzyme production in SSF is 3.8-fold higher than that in submerged fermentation. The bread made by supplementing dough with ??-amylase of B. acidicola scored better than those with the xylanase of Bacillus halodurans and thermostable ??-amylase of Geobacillus thermoleovorans.     

Purification, characterization, and structural investigation of a new moderately thermophilic and partially calcium-independent extracellular α-amylase from Bacillus sp. TM1

A new α-amylase was extracted from a recently found strain of Bacillus sp. and purified by ion-exchange chromatography. Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed a single band for the purified enzyme with an apparent molecular weight of 59 kDa. The optimum temperature and pH range of the enzyme were 40–60°C and 4.5–7.5, respectively, and its activation energy was 1.974 kcal/mol. The K _m value for the enzyme activity on solubie starch was 4 mg/mL, and the T _m values obtained from the circular dichroism (CD) results of thermal unfolding were 78.7 and 80.2°C in the absence and presence of the calcium, respectively. The enzyme was almost completely inhibited by the addition of Fe³⁺, Mn²⁺, and Zn²⁺ and was activated by EDTA, Cr³⁺, and Al³⁺. Moreover, it was partially inhibited by Ca²⁺, Ba²⁺, Ni²⁺, and Co²⁺. Proteolytic digestion of the enzyme using trypsin combined with results from T _m using CD and irreversible thermoinactivation suggests that this enzyme can be considered a moderate thermophile with both mild flexibility and rigidity.     

Comparative studies on a mesophilic and a thermophilic α-amylase

A comparative study was performed on thermal stability of mesophilic and thermophilic α-amylases, and the effects of various denaturing agents, organic solvents, and stabilizers were investigated. As expected, the thermophilic enzyme showed higher resistance toward denaturation in water as its natural medium, but such a difference could not be detected in nonaqueous environments. Furthermore, stability of these molecules was improved by including various stabilizing agents. Of the compounds tested, sorbitol provided the highest degree of protection, which was found to be owing to its effect on increasing T _m and its ability in totally preventing deamidation of amino acid residues in the protein molecules.     

Preparation of conjugates of α-amylase with a protease inhibitor and their stability

A method for obtaining conjugates of -amylase with a trypsin inhibitor and separating them into fractions has been developed. Two fractions have been obtained—thermostable and thermolabile. The thermostable fraction retained about 80% of its amylase activity after incubation at 50°C for 2 h, with activation of the enzyme during the first 30 min. In the presence of trypsin the conjugated enzyme, retained 91% of its initial activity after incubation for 1 h, although the activity of the native enzyme fell to 35% under the same conditions.Mirzo Ulugbek [Ulugh-Beg] Tashkent State University. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedimenii, No. 2, pp. 201–204, Marhc–April, 1998.     

Immobilization of α-amylase from Bacillus circulans GRS 313 on coconut fiber

A simple and inexpensive method for immobilizing alpha-amylase from Bacillus circulans GRS 313 on coconut fiber was developed. The immobilization conditions for highest efficiency were optimized with respect to immobilization pH of 5.5, 30 degrees C, contact time of 4 h, and enzyme to support a ratio of 1:1 containing 0.12 mg/mL of protein. The catalytic properties of the immobilized enzyme were compared with that of the free enzyme. The activity of amylase adsorbed on coconut fiber was 38.7 U/g of fiber at its optimum pH of 5.7 and 48 degrees C, compared with the maximum activity of 40.2 U/mL of free enzyme at the optimum pH of 4.9 and 48 degrees C. The reutilization capacity of the immobilized enzyme was up to three cycles.     

Synthesis and α-amylase inhibitory activity of glucose-deoxynojirimycin conjugates

Inhibitors of α-amylase have attracted attention for their putative effects against diabetes mellitus. Although numerous studies have explored natural small molecule inhibitors, acarbose is currently the only compound with sufficient inhibitory potency and drug-like characteristics to be considered as a potential therapeutic agent. We have synthesized conjugates of the potent glucosidase inhibitor, 1-deoxynojirimycin, and glucose, with the aim of enhancing inhibitory activity against α-amylase. This synthetic conjugate showed increased inhibition of α-amylase compared to 1-deoxynojirimycin alone, suggesting that similar modifications of existing glucosidase inhibitors may yield more potent α-amylase inhibitors.     

Design,synthesis and exploration of in silico α-amylase and α-glucosidase binding studies of pyrrolidine-appended quinoline-constrained compounds

Research on Chemical Intermediates - A series of new pyrrolidine-appended phenoxy-substituted quinoline derivatives were synthesized using 2-chloro-3-formyl quinoline. Initially, the second...     

An oxidative dearomatization-induced [5 + 2] cascade enabling the syntheses of α-cedrene, α-pipitzol, and sec-cedrenol

Efficient syntheses of α-cedrene (1), α-pipitzol (2), and sec-cedrenol (3) were carried out using a new method, which was inspired by the proposed biosynthesis of the tricyclic skeleton of cedrol (12). The key transformation begins with the oxidative dearomatization of curcuphenol (5a) followed by an intramolecular [5 + 2] cycloaddition of the respective phenoxonium intermediate across the tethered olefin. The benzylic stereocenter effectively guides the formation of the first two stereocenters during the [5 + 2] reaction. The cascade then terminates with the selective incorporation of acetic acid to generate a third stereocenter, setting it apart from other previous cationic [5 + 2] reactions. The phenolic precursors (5a-h) are constructed from readily available salicylaldehydes, either as the racemate (one pot) or as a specific enantiomer (four pots) by a modification to our method for the generation of ortho-quinone methides (o-QMs).     

Catalytic and antimicrobial properties of α-amylase immobilised on the surface of metal oxide nanoparticles

New methods of obtaining products containing enzymes reduce the costs associated with obtaining them, increase the efficiency of processes and stabilize the created biocatalytic systems. In the study a catalytic system containing the enzyme α-amylase immobilized on ZnO nanoparticle and Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles was created. The efficiency of the processes was obtained with variables: concentrations of enzymes, temperatures and times, to define the best conditions for running the process, for which were determined equilibrium and kinetics of adsorption. The most effective parameters of α-amylase immobilization on metal oxides were determined, obtaining 100.8 mg/g sorption capacity for ZnO and 102.9 mg/g for Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles. Base on the best parameters, ZnO-α-amylase was investigated as an antimicrobial agent and Fe₃O₄-α-amylase was tested as a catalyst in the process of starch hydrolysis. As a result of the conducted experiments, it was found that α-amylase immobilized on Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles maintained high catalytic activity (the reaction rate constant K_M?=?0.7799 [g/dm³] and the maximum reaction rate V_max?=?8.660 [g/(dm³min)]).

     

Isolation, Purification, and Properties of α-Amylase from Bacillus subtilis-7A

Cultivation ofBacillus subtilis-7A on waste from alcohol production yielded an active extracellular enzyme -amylase with MW 75 kDa. The enzyme was isolated from the culture medium by 60% saturated ammonium sulfate and purified until homogeneous by gel filtration on Sephadex G-100 and ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-cellulose. The optimum temperatures for the complex and purified enzyme are 30 and 50°C, respectively. The optimum activity for both preparations occurred at pH 6.5. The substrate specificity of the isolated preparations was studied.     

Calorimetric studies on renaturation by CaCl2 addition of metal-free α-amylase from Bacillus Licheniformis (BLA)

In our previous work we characterized the Ca binding properties of BLA by analysis of Ca-induced renaturation in the presence of urea. In this study we focused on the renaturing capacity of CaCl₂ in the absence of urea and analysed the apparent thermodynamic and kinetic properties of renatured BLA by DSC, CD and dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements. Ca-free protein did not return fully to the native state even after extensive dialysis against high concentrations of calcium. Thus Ca removal provokes changes in protein structure that can not be reversed completely even by addition of an excess of calcium. However, activity studies performed simultaneously with the DSC experiments showed a significant return of enzymatic activity despite the failure of complete return of native stability. This conclusion is in excellent agreement with findings of Machius et al. who suggested on the basis of their X-ray studies that it is not possible to remove CaI and CaII without introducing significant structural changes. It is important to note that all unfolding reactions of metal-free, partially renatured and native protein were found to be irreversible. Therefore the DSC transition curves were fitted using irreversible transition models. It turned out that the apparent heat capacity profiles of partially renatured BLA could be well represented by superposition of two irreversible processes each following the two-state irreversible model.     

[2+2+2] cycloaddition reactions of α,β-unsaturated N-arylaldimines,acetylenedicarboxylates and 2-arylidene-1,3-indanediones

The domino [2+2+2] cycloaddition reaction of α,β-unsaturated N-arylaldimines, dialkyl acetylenedicarboxylates and 2-arylidene-1,3-indanediones in dry methylene dichloride at room temperature afforded isomeric 2′-styryl-1,2′,3,4′-tetrahydro-1′H-spiro[indene-2,3′-pyridines] in good yields. Under similar conditions, the reaction of α,β-unsaturated N-arylaldimines with two molecules of dialkyl acetylenedicarboxylates resulted in 1-aryl-6-styryl-1,6-dihydropyridine-2,3,4,5-tetracarboxylates. Additionally, the three-component reaction of α,β-unsaturated N-arylaldimines, dimethylacetylenedicarboxylate and benzoyl cyanide also gave isomeric 1,3-oxazine-4,5-dicarboxylates.     

Dendroaspis natriuretic peptide regulates the cardiac L-type Ca2+ channel activity by the phosphorylation of α1c proteins

Dendroaspis natriuretic peptide (DNP), a new member of the natriuretic peptide family, is structurally similar to atrial, brain, and C-type natriuretic peptides. However, the effects of DNP on the cardiac function are poorly defined. In the present study, we examined the effect of DNP on the cardiac L-type Ca(2+) channels in rabbit ventricular myocytes. DNP inhibited the L-type Ca(2+) current (I(Ca,L)) in a concentration dependent manner with a IC(50) of 25.5 nM, which was blocked by an inhibitor of protein kinase G (PKG), KT5823 (1 μM). DNP did not affect the voltage dependence of activation and inactivation of I(Ca,L). The α(1c) subunit of cardiac L-type Ca(2+) channel proteins was phosphorylated by the treatment of DNP (1 μM), which was completely blocked by KT5823 (1 μM). Finally, DNP also caused the shortening of action potential duration in rabbit ventricular tissue by 22.3 ± 4.2% of the control (n = 6), which was completely blocked by KT5823 (1 μM). These results clearly indicate that DNP inhibits the L-type Ca(2+) channel activity by phosphorylating the Ca(2+) channel protein via PKG activation.     

A new potentiometric sensor for the determination of α-amylase activity

A platinum redox sensor for the direct potentiometric determination of α-amylase concentration has been described. The sensor measured the amount of triiodide released from a starch-triiodide complex, which was correlated with the α-amylase activity after biocatalytic starch degradation. The composition and stability of the potassium triiodide solution was optimized. The starch-triiodide complex was characterized potentiometrically at variable starch and triiodide concentrations. The response mechanism of the platinum redox sensor towards α-amylase was proposed and the appropriate theoretical model was elaborated. The results obtained using the redox sensor exhibited satisfactory accuracy and precision and good agreement with a standard spectrophotometric method and high-sensitive fully automated descret analyser method. The sensor was tested on pure α-amylase (EC 3.2.1.1, Fluka, Switzerland), industrial granulated α-amylase Duramyl 120 T and an industrial cogranulate of protease and α-amylase Everlase/Duramyl 8.0 T/60 T. The detection limit was found to be 1.944 mU for α-amylase in the range of 0-0.54 U (0-15 μg), 0.030 mKNU for Duramyl 120 T in the range of 0-9.6 mKNU (0-80 μg) and 0.032 mKNU for Everlase/Duramyl 8.0 T/60 T in the range of 0-9.24 mKNU (0-140 μg).     

Iridium-catalyzed [2+2+2] cycloaddition of α,ω-diynes with alkynyl ketones and alkynyl esters

We found that the combination of [Ir(cod)Cl]₂ and rac-BINAP served as an efficient catalyst for the [2+2+2] cycloaddition of 2,7-nonadiyne derivatives and related compounds with alkynyl ketones and alkynyl esters. The corresponding products were obtained in high yields under mild reaction conditions.     

Dicyanoanilines as potential and dual inhibitors of α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes: Synthesis,characterization, in vitro,in silico,and kinetics studies

The present study comprised of the synthesis of dicyanoaniline derivatives of pyridine, thiophene, furan, and substituted phenyl 1–29. All synthetic derivatives were evaluated for their potential to inhibit α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes. The synthesized compounds are classified into three categories A, B, and C based on variable substituents at R₁ and R_2, and the structure–activity relationship was discussed accordingly. Amongst twenty-nine derivatives, 1–29, five compounds 2, 9, 18, 23, and 24 displayed excellent inhibition against α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes with the IC₅₀ values ranging between 20.33 ± 0.02–25.50 ± 0.06 µM and 21.01 ± 0.12–27.75 ± 0.17 µM, respectively, while other compounds showed moderate to weak inhibition against both enzymes. Acarbose was used as the positive control in this study. The enzyme kinetic studies showed non-competitive and un-competitive types of inhibition mechanism against α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes, respectively. In silico studies have demonstrated the involvement of these molecules in numerous binding interactions within the active site of the enzyme.     

The effect of pectinase on the bubble fractionation of invertase from α-amylase

Fermentation broth normally contains many extracellular enzymes of industrial interest. To separate such enzymes on-line could be useful in reducing the cost of recovery as well as in keeping their yield at a maximum level by minimizing enzyme degradation from broth proteases (either the desired enzymes or the proteases could be removed selectively or both removed together and then separated). Several large-scale separation methods are candidates for such on-line recovery such as ultrafiltration, precipitation, and two-phase partitioning. Another promising technique for on-line recovery is adsorptive bubble fractionation, the subject of this study. Bubble fractionation, like ultrafiltration, does not require contaminating additives and can complement ultrafiltration by preconcentrating the enzymes using the gases normally present in a fermentation process. A mixture of enzymes in an aqueous bubble solution can, in principle, be separated by adjusting the pH of that solution to the isoelectric point (pI) of each enzyme as long as the enzymes have different pIs. The model system investigated here is comprised of three enzyme separations and the problem is posed as the effect of pectinase (a charged enzyme) on the bubble fractionation of invertase (a relatively hydrophilic enzyme) from α-amylase (a relatively hydrophobic enzyme). The primary environmental variable studied, therefore, is the pH in the batch bubble fractionation column. Air was used as the carrier gas. This prototype mixture exemplifies an aerobic fungal fermentation process for producing enzymes. The enzyme concentration here is measured as total protein concentration by the Coomassie Blue (Bradford) solution method (1), both as a function of time and column position for each batch run. Since, from a previous study (2), it was found that invertase and α-amylase in a two-enzyme system can be partially separated in favor of one vs the other at two different pHs (pH 5.0 and 9.0) with significant separation ratios, emphasis is placed on the effect of pectinase at these pHs. In this study, the addition of pectinase reduced the total separation ratio of the α-amylase-invertase mixture at both pHs.     

Syntheses of the four stereoisomers of Phytophthora mating hormone α2 and a concise synthesis of mating hormone α1

Four stereoisomers of Phytophthora mating hormone α2 were synthesized using both enantiomers of citronellol as starting materials. The absolute configuration of the natural product was determined to be 7S,11R,15R by oospore-inducing assays of the synthetic isomers. A concise synthetic procedure of α1 was also established using a common synthetic intermediate of α2.     

[6π+2π]-Cycloaddition of α,ω-Diallenes and α,ω-Diacetylenes to 1,3,5-Cycloheptatriene in the Presence of TiCl4-Et2AlCl

[6π+2π]-Cycloaddition of α,ω-diallenes and α,ω-bis(trimethylsilyl)diacetylenes to 1,3,5-cycloheptatriene in the presence of a two-component catalytic system TiCl₄-Et₂AlCl was performed that led to the formation of bis(endo-bicyclo[4.2.1]nona-2,4-dienes) and bis(8-trimethylsilyl-endo-bicyclo[4.2.1]nona-2,4,7-trienes) linked by polymethylene spacer in 69–86% yields.