Optimisation of enzymatic hydrolysis for solubilisation of the marine macroalgae Ecklonia maxima

Date
2019-12
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Seaweeds are known to harbour a variety of compounds that exert biostimulant potential when applied to crops. These compounds are valued in commercial biostimulant products due to the biological activities they exert when applied to crops, including antioxidant activities, growth stimulation, and improved tolerance to biotic and abiotic stress. Use of seaweed as a source of these compounds has significant advantages over terrestrial plants such as higher growth rates, don’t require the same land as terrestrial plants for better food security, and don’t need fresh water sources. There have been conventional methods available to solubilise seaweed biomass for the extraction of biostimulant compounds that have been replaced by better alternative methods. An alternative extraction method that has been gaining attention is enzyme assisted extraction (EAE) due to the benefits of using enzymes compared to the other methods, such as being more environmentally friendly, utilising less dangerous chemicals and it utilises milder reaction conditions. While the use of enzymes for the solubilisation of biomass for the extraction of biostimulants has been a growing industry where the growth of the industry is predicted to significantly rise until 2021. Therefor an optimised process to produce biostimulant products derived from the local South African species Ecklonia maxima has some potential to contribute to the industry. In this study an enzymatic assisted extraction (EAE) using a carbohydrase, Accelerase® 1500, and a protease, SEB Digest B69P, was optimised to solubilise the brown seaweed Ecklonia maxima. Furthermore the optimised EAE underwent process development and scale up to characterise the optimised process. The optimisation was done using response surface methodology (RSM) with a central composite design (CCD) where three factors were varied namely temperature, pH and enzyme to substrate ratio (E:S ratio). The responses measured were reducing sugars, neutral sugars, solubilised alginate, polyphenolic compounds, antioxidant capacity, dry material in solution and crude protein. It was determined that SEB Digest B69P had no significant effects in the models and concluded that the enzyme could be added at any conditions within the defined ranges and would generate similar results. Accellerase® 1500 had detectable significant effects on the solubilisation of the seaweed biomass and was taken further for optimisation. Utilising a desirability analysis the optimal parameters were determined to be a temperature of 46.6°C, pH of 5.5 and E:S ratio of 0.74. The process development and scale up experiments indicated that SEB Digest B69P had no significant contribution to the process and was only confirmed to be inhibiting the Accellerase® 1500. Further characterisation showed that the Accellerase® 1500-SEB Digest B69P process had a maximum polyphenolic compound concentration of 0.41 gGAE/L, antioxidant capacity that remained close to 70% and an M/G ratio of 0.9. Additionally the process had a glucose and mannitol yield of 400.10 g/kgDM and 63.95 g/kgDM respectively. It was concluded that only Accellerase® 1500 was required and the final optimaL process conditions were determined to be a temperature of 46.6°C, pH of 5.5, E:S ratio of 0.74 and a total hydrolysis time of approximately 16 hours.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Dit is bekend dat seewiere 'n verskeidenheid verbindings bevat wat biostimulantpotensiaal uitoefen wanneer dit op gewasse toegedien word. Hierdie verbindings is waardevol in kommersiële biostimulantprodukte as gevolg van die biologiese aktiwiteite wat hulle uitoefen wanneer dit op gewasse toegedien word, insluitend anti-oksidantaktiwiteite, groeistimulasie en ’n verbeterde weerstand teenoor biotiese en abiotiese stres. Die gebruik van seewiere as ’n bron van hierdie verbindings hou aansienlike voordele in vergelyking met ander aardplante. Hierdie voordele sluit hoër groeikoerse in, beter voedselsekerheid omdat seewiere nie dieselfde grond benodig as ander plante nie, en gebruik nie varswaterbronne nie. Daar is talryke konvensionele metodes beskikbaar om seewierbiomassa op te los vir die ekstraksie van biostimulantverbindings wat deur beter alternatiewe metodes vervang is. ’n Alternatiewe ekstraksiemetode wat tans baie aandag kry is ensiematiese ekstraksie (EAE) as gevolg van die voordele wat dit bo ander metodes inhou, soos om meer omgewingsvriendelik te wees, die gebruik van minder gevaarlike chemikalieë, en dit gebruik ligter reaksietoestande. Die gebruik van ensieme vir die oplos van biomassa vir die ekstraksie van biostimulante is ’n groeiende industrie waar daar voorspel word dat die bedryf aansienlik gaan toeneem tot 2021. Daarom het ’n geoptimeerde proses om biostimulantprodukte te produseer uit die plaaslike Suid-Afrikaanse spesie Ecklonia maxima potensiaal om tot die bedryf by te dra. In hierdie studie is ’n optimalisering van 'n ensiematiese ekstraksie met die gebruik van ‘n karbohidrase, Accelerase® 1500 en ‘n protease, SEB Digest B69P, gedoen om die bruin seewier Ecklonia maxima op te los. Verder het die geoptimaliseerde ekstraksie prosesontwikkeling ondergaan en was opgeskaal om die geoptimaliseerde proses te karakteriseer. Die optimalisering in hierdie studie is gedoen met behulp van respons oppervlak metodologie (RSM) met ’n sentrale samestelling ontwerp (CCD), waar drie faktore gewissel het, naamlik temperatuur, pH en die ensiem tot substraat verhouding (E:S ratio). Die resultate wat gemeet is, was die reduserende suikers, neutrale suikers, oplosbare alginaat, polifenoliese verbindings, anti-oksidantvermoë, droë materiaal en ru-proteïene. Daar is vasgestel dat SEB Digest B69P geen noemenswaardige effekte in die model gehad het nie en dat die ensiem by enige toestande binne die gedefinieerde bestekke bygevoeg kan word en soortgelyke resultate sou tot gevolg hê. Accellerase® 1500 het egter noemenswaardige effek op die oplosbaarheid van die seewierbiomassa gehad en is verder geneem vir optimering. Met behulp van ’n wenslikheidsanalise is daar bepaal dat die optimale parameters 46.6 °C, pH van 5.5 en E:S ratio van 0.74 is. Die prosesontwikkeling en opgeskaalde eksperimente het aangedui dat SEB Digest B69P geen noemenswaardige bydrae tot die proses gelewer het nie en slegs die Accellerase® 1500 geïnhibeer het. Verdere karakterisering het getoon dat die Accellerase® 1500-SEB Digest B69P-proses ’n maksimum polifenoliese konsentrasie van 0.41 gGAE/L bereik het, anti-oksidantaktiwiteit wat naby 70% gebly het en ’n M/G-verhouding van 0.9 is bepaal. Verder het die proses ’n glukose- en mannitolopbrengs van onderskeidelik 400.10 g/kgDM en 63.95 g/kgDM gehad. Die gevolgtrekking is dat slegs Accellerase® 1500 nodig is vir oplossing en dat die finale optimale prosesstoestande vasgestel is by ’n temperatuur van 46.6 °C, ’n pH van 5.5, E:S-ratio van 0.74 en ’n totale hidrolise tyd van ongeveer 16 ure.
Description
Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2019.
Keywords
UCTD, Biostimulants, Seaweeds -- Solubilization, Seagrasses as fertilizers, Enzymatic assisted extraction, Hydrolases, Ecklonia maxima
Citation