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CATALYTIC PROTEINS FOR INDUSTRY

Since the beginning of human history, man has used catalytic proteins indirectly.

The fermentation of sugar to ethanol in the preparation of beer and wine,

production of vinegar by the oxidation of ethanol, curdling of milk by lactose

fermentation are thousands of years old processes where catalytic activities of

catalytic proteins are responsible for chemical transformations. Probably the rst

application of cell free catalytic protein was in cheese making where rennin

obtained from calf stomach was used. The protease rennin which coagulates

milk protein, has been used for hundreds of years in cheese preparation. The

rst commercial catalytic protein was probably reported in Germany in !".

#se of trypsin, the protease isolated from animals, was shown to improve

washing power of detergent over traditional products. Success in the formulation

of improved $uality of detergent triggered e%orts towards the selection of

proteases suitable for application in detergents.

Subse$uently, a breakthrough in the commercial use of catalytic protein

occurred with the introduction of microbial protease in washing powder at an

a%ordable cost. The rst commercial alkaline protease from Bacillus sp. was

marketed in !&! and production of catalytic protein added detergent soon

became a big business within a few years. 'uring the period when use of

alkaline protease in detergent became popular, use of catalytic proteins in food

processing industries also gained momentum in parallel. (ruit clarifying catalytic

protein, called pectinase, was used in fruit )uice manufacturing units since !*+.

atalytic proteins hydroly-ing starch into invert sugars largely entered the food

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industry in !+ and more or less completely replaced acid process of starch

hydrolysis. Starch hydroly-ing catalytic proteins for the production of glucose

soon became the second largest used group of catalytic proteins.

atalytic proteins may be extracted from any living organism. Sources of

commercial catalytic proteins cover a wide range, from microorganisms to plants

to animal sources. /ut for various reasons, microorganisms became the ma)or

source of catalytic proteins. 0n commercial catalytic protein production, fungi

and yeast contribute about &+1, bacteria 2&1, animal 31 and plant "1 of the

total. 4icrobes are preferred to plants and animals as they are cheap sources,

their catalytic protein contents are predictable and growth substrates are

obtained as standard raw materials. 0n addition, genetic engineering has opened

a new era of advanced catalytic protein technology. 5ecombinant '67

technology has made it possible to obtain catalytic proteins present in valued

sources, to be synthesi-ed in easy growing microorganisms and also to produce

tailor8made catalytic protein proteins with desired properties as per customers9

re$uirements. atalytic proteins retaining activity under extreme conditions of

temperature, p: and salt concentrations, partially active in organic solvents are

all becoming a reality. The prospects of the catalytic protein industry look very

bright with increased market position for existing use, new use of known

catalytic protein sand new catalytic protein shaving novel industrial applications.