Enzymes are intricate, stable, globular
proteins that serve as catalysts in chemical reactions. These reagents reduce
the activation energy in order to increase the rate of the reaction at the same
temperature. Their stability prevents them from being consumed like other
reagents in the reaction. While they can accelerate chemical reactions by more
than 1,000 times, the effect of enzymes can either be enhanced by promoters, or
reduced by inhibitors. Most industrial enzymes are obtained from microorganisms
like fungi and bacteria, though they can also be obtained from animal and plant
sources, unless they are activated.
Where
are enzymes used?
Enzymes have been in use in different
industries for many years to control process time, improve texture, enhance
flavor, extend shelf life, and limit the use of other chemicals. For instance,
proteases that occur naturally in animal feces are used to soften hides in the
leather tanning industry, while the brewing industry uses enzymes found in
barley to convert the starch to sugars, and proteins to amino acids. Other
industries include food processing, animal nutrition, carbohydrate processing,
laundry detergents, and photography. Enzymes are also essential in the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical
industry, as well as for human supplementation to address digestion
concerns like lactose intolerance.
According to Microbe
magazine, enzymes are also playing a vital role in the agricultural sector,
as farmers have managed to increase land productivity by up to 50%. Various
microbes have been claimed to increase plant tolerance to stress and drought,
enhance nutrient absorption, produce better foliage, and ultimately, increase
the yield.
How
do enzymes work?
Different enzymes are used for
different purposes in various industries. For example, proteases dissolve fibrin
to digest blood clots in the medical treatment of thromboses, and also remove
proteins when used as contact lens cleaners. Amlylases are used in detergents
to break down starch stains, cellulases in the biofuel industry to break down
cellulose into sugars, and Trypsin in baby food to predigest the food before
being consumed by the baby.
Use
of Microbiology Instruments to Overcome Challenges Facing Enzyme Testing
Like a variety of other industrial
products, microbiology
instruments are used to perform various essential tests on enzymes.
However, enzymes have unique attributes that make them very difficult to test
using traditional plating methods, particularly the pH levels and solubility of
the reagent. These methods are also not effective for testing oil based enzymes
and gas releasing enzyme reagents, since they may produce false positive
results, requiring more time to complete the tests. Fortunately, there are
microbiological instruments that break through these challenges, allowing the
quality assurance process to be performed rapidly and effectively.
The testing and rapid detection systems
employed in microbiology quality assurance have enabled modern laboratories to perform
tests on multiple enzymes for a variety of microorganisms including yeast
and molds, E. coli, Lactic Acid Bacteria, Salmonella, Coliforms, Total aerobic
Count, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacteriaceae, and Pseudomonas
aeruginosa.
These modern instruments are designed
to increase the rate of reagent release, which results in fast, accurate and
real-time results at significantly lower costs compared to conventional
techniques. The microbiology quality assurance process requires less time,
labor and money since the assays are much simpler to perform, and the system is
not affected by reagent interference.
Contact Biolumix to learn more about
microbiological instruments for testing enzymes.
Biolumix
3928 Varsity Dr.
Ann Arbor, MI 48108
Phone: (734) 984-3100
Fax: 734-222-1830
Email: info@mybiolumix.com
