Laccase-based Food Preservation Solution

Laccase can oxidize polyphenols, so it is widely used in fruit juice, wine stabilization and antioxidant. Aprofood deeply explores the field of enzyme engineering and is committed to providing global customers with a full range of food preservation solutions based on laccase.

Overview of Laccase

Laccase (benzenediol: oxygen oxidoreductase; EC 1.10.3.2) is a blue copper oxide reductase that catalyzes the oxidation of a variety of substrates, including phenolic compounds, while reducing molecular oxygen to water.

Fungal laccases contain two disulfide bonds and four copper atoms distributed in three copper centers: T₁, T₂, and T₃. Type I (T₁) is mononuclear and has an absorption band at approximately 610 nm responsible for the characteristic blue color of this enzyme. T₂/T₃ are trinuclear clusters. Oxidation of the substrate takes place in T₁, through the His-Cys-His tripeptide sequence, the extracted electrons are transferred to the T₂/T₃ site, and molecular oxygen is finally reduced to water. This is why laccase is considered a "green tool" because it is able to use molecular oxygen as the only co-substrate instead of hydrogen peroxide like other oxidoreductases to carry out the catalytic process.

Fig.1 Typical reaction of laccase: phenols oxidation. (Minussi, et al., 2002)

Application of Laccase in Food Preservation

Over the years, laccase has been used in the food industry especially in the determination of different phenolic compounds that can affect the quality of some products.

Beverage Processing

The content of phenolic compounds in juice can affect its quality and shelf life, changing its color and taste, thereby reducing its value. Laccase has been shown to be highly effective in removing phenols, avoiding the use of other chemical treatments such as activated carbon adsorption. After treatment with enzymes, the quality of the beverage is improved, as is the shelf life.

Wine Stabilization

Due to the complex mixture of chemicals in wine, possible oxidation reactions can even accelerate its deterioration. Laccase has good stability at low pH and its inhibition can be reversed with sulfite. Therefore, the use of laccase can ensure the quality of wine preserved for a long time, avoid wine spoilage, and reduce production costs.

Beer Stabilization

Controlling temperature, oxygen and turbidity are important factors in improving beer quality. The presence of phenolic compounds such as procyanidins promotes protein precipitation, which in turn promotes precipitation in beer. The shelf life of beer can be extended by adding laccase at the end of the production process to oxidize phenolic compounds.

Our Solutions

Combining enzyme engineering technology and expertise in the food industry, Aprofood is committed to providing global customers with comprehensive solutions for food preservation based on laccase.

• Formulation Customization of Laccase
  We focus on the application of laccase in beverages and wine, and provide the most comprehensive formulation development scheme based on laccase. The development of a single ingredient ratio and the compounding with multiple functional food ingredients are included in our solutions.
• Modification of Laccase
  Through our advanced enzyme engineering technology, laccase can be chemically modified to improve its stability and oxidation in food, which is beneficial to our further development and utilization.
• Evaluation of Laccase System
  Whether it is our innovative formula, or based on the formula provided by the customer, we can conduct a comprehensive comprehensive evaluation and give optimization suggestions to evaluate its effect in practical application to help customers complete the project.

Our Advantages

Rich Experience and Professional Team

Comprehensive Verification and Optimization

Choice Diversity and Customization

Controllable Project Development Process

Aprofood is committed to providing extensive support to global customers in food preservation related research. Our professionals can provide you with comprehensive food preservation solutions based on laccase. Please contact us for more possibilities of your project!

References

1. Minussi, R.C., Pastore, G.M., & Durán, N. (2002). Potential applications of laccase in the food industry. Trends in Food Science and Technology, 13, 205-216.
2. Mayolo-Deloisa, K., González-González, M., & Rito-Palomares, M. (2020). Laccases in Food Industry: Bioprocessing, Potential Industrial and Biotechnological Applications. Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology, 8, 222.