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A strain of Aspergillus niger isolated from soil samples showed great capacity to produce extracellular inulinase. Although the enzyme has been synthesized in presence of monosaccharides, sucrose and sugar cane molasse, the productivity was significantly higher (p<0.05) when the microorganism was inoculated in media formulated with dahlia extract and pure inulin, as carbon sources. With regard to the nitrogen source, the best results were obtained with casein and other sources of proteic nitrogen, comparatively to the mineral nitrogen. However, statistic significance (p<0.01) only was found between the productivity obtained in the medium prepared with casein and ammonium sulphate. The optimum pH of the purified enzyme for inulin hydrolysis was found between 4.0 and 4.5 and the optimun temperature at 60oC. When treated by 30 minutes in this temperature no loss of activity was observed. The enzyme showed capacity to hydrolyse sucrose, raffinose and inulin from which it liberated only fructose units showing, therefore, an exo-action mechanism. Acting on inulins from several sources, the enzyme showed larger hydrolysis speed on the polissaccharide from chicory (Cichorium intibus), comparatively, to the inulins from dahlia (Dahlia pinnata) and Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) roots.

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ABSTRACTβ-Galactosidase or β-D-galactoside-galactohydrolase (EC. 3.2.1.23) is an important enzyme industrially used for the hydrolysis of lactose from milk and milk whey for several applications. Lately, the importance of this enzyme was enhanced by its galactosyltransferase activity, which is responsible for the synthesis of transgalactosylated oligosaccharides (TOS) that act as functional foods, with several beneficial effects on consumers. Penicillium simplicissimum, a strain isolated from soil, when grown in semisolid medium showed good productivity of β-galactosidase with galactosyltransferase activity. The optimum pH for hydrolysis was in the 4.0-4.6 range and the optimum pH for galactosyltransferase activity was in the 6.0-7.0 range. The optimum temperature for hydrolysis and transferase activity was 55-60°C and 50°C, respectively, and the enzyme showed high thermostability for the hydrolytic activity. The enzyme showed a potential for several industrial applications such as removal of 67% of the lactose from milk and 84% of the lactose from milk whey when incubated at their original pH (4.5 and 6.34, respectively) under optimum temperature conditions. When incubated with a 40% lactose solution in 150 mM McIlvaine buffer, pH 4.5, at 55°C the enzyme converted 86.5% of the lactose to its component monosaccharides. When incubated with a 60% lactose solution in the same buffer but at pH 6.5 and 50°C, the enzyme can synthetize up to 30.5% TOS, with 39.5% lactose and 30% monosaccharides remaining in the preparation.

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