Commercial enzymes and their preparation.

Latimer, R. A.

Abstract
Microbial enzymes have great industrial potential. Already rennet from Mucro spp. is replacing the dearer calf rennet for cheese making and it is estimated that, by 1980, 30 to 50% of the sucrose market will be provided by products obtained from corn by treatment with alpha amylase, conversion of the resultant dextrins to glucose by amyloglucosidase and then to fructose by glucose isomerase. Enzymic processes will become especially attractive with developments in immobilized enzymes. A suggested new process is the conversion of cellulosic waste by cellulases from Trichoderma viride to glucose for feed or food, conversion to fructose, the manufacture of single cell protein, or for fermentation to fuels like alcohol and acetone. Proteases now form about 50% and amylases about 25% of the enzyme market. The relatively thermostable bacterial amylases are particularly useful in corn conversion and in starch liquefaction in brewery cookers. Glucoamylases, especially amyloglucosidase from A. niger, are used by corn wet millers to convert dextrins to glucose and by brewers to make beers low in carbohydrate. Apart from the established use of the plant enzyme papain for chill proofing beer, bacterial proteases are used to generate more free amino N from malt in high adjunct brewing, or in brewing with unmalted cereals. Plant-scale enzyme production is briefly described from selection of a suitable organism to isolation of the enzyme from the fermentation broth.
Keywords: additive brewing enzyme mashing production survey