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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.
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