Levansucrase production by Zymomonas mobilis: Optimization of process parameters and fructooligosaccharide production

WOS: 000403269800021This article investigates the production and optimization of levansucrase using synthetic medium by Zymomonas mobilis NRRL B-14023. Response surface methodology was used to investigate the effects of three different fermentation parameters on levansucrase enzyme production. Maximum levansucrase activity of 13.3 mu mol glucose/min was obtained at the optimum levels of process variables (pH 4.90, initial sucrose concentration 159.01 g/L and fermentation temperature 30.3 degrees C). Response surface methodology was found to be useful in optimizing and determining the interactions among process variables. The purity of levansucrase used in enzyme assays were analyzed by SDS-PAGE and a dominant protein band of size around 47 kDa was obtained. The sequence of the produced enzyme was determined by peptide mass fingerprinting. The presence of kestose in the reaction mixture showed that Z. mobilis levansucrase can produce fructooligosaccharides. This study fulfills the lack of mathematical and statistical approaches in optimizing the levansucrase production by Z. mobilis. Practical applicationsLevansucrases are responsible for the production of valuable fructans; fructooligosaccharides (FOS) and levan. Fructooligosaccharides are sugar polymers three times less sweet than sucrose and naturally present in some foods. FOS have important promising use in the food industry due to their properties such as solubility in water, stability during storage, low calorie value, and prebiotic effects. In this research, the production of microbial levansucrase was optimized for potential industrial applications by response surface methodology. Future studies will focus on conversion of intrinsic sucrose of foods to FOS using levansucrase.Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey, TUBITAKTurkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK) [214 O 174]; TUBITAKTurkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK) [214 O 174]This research was supported by the Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey, TUBITAK (Project No.: 214 O 174). Ozlem Erdal and Ozge Tastan were supported by TUBITAK fellowship (Project No.: 214 O 174