The activity of β‐mannanase in the commercial enzyme Pectinex Ultra SP‐L and its use for the production of mannooligosaccharides from copra meal

Abstract

The β-mannanase present in the commercial enzyme Pectinex Ultra SP-L was characterised and tested for its ability to hydrolyse copra meal for the production of mannooligosaccharides (MOS). The optimum pH and temperature for the mannanase activity were 4.0 and 65 °C, respectively. The relative activity of the β-mannanase of the commercial preparation Pectinex Ultra SP-L on copra meal was 49% when compared to the complete hydrolysis of locust bean gum, indicating its potential to hydrolyse the agricultural waste. The maximum MOS concentration of 25 g L −1 was obtained from the hydrolysis of 300 g L −1 copra meal with Pectinex Ultra SP-L at 55 °C for 2 h. The hydrolysate consisted of ~45% oligosaccharides and the rest were monosaccharides. Mannobiose and mannotriose were the only oligosaccharides present in the mixture, with mannobiose accounting for 90%. A simple and efficient method to obtain oligosaccharides from copra meal using a commercial pectinolytic enzyme is presented.

Converting coconut meal into biothermoplastics for industrial applications

“…Similarly, copra meal has been evaluated for its potential use in bio-conversion to ethanol and also for the production of biogas. 7 Up to 45% oligosaccharides, mainly mannobiose and mannotriose, obtained with copra meal were hydroyzed using a commercial enzyme, Pectinex Ultra SP-L. 8 Additionally, copra meal hydrolysate, which contains mannan polysaccharide produced by the enzyme mannanase, shows promise as a prebiotic in food and feed applications. 9 The use of fermented copra meal as a plant protein source in fish feed has also been studied.…”