What is Xylanase?
Xylanase is a group of enzymes that break down xylan, a major component of hemicellulose found in plant cell walls, into xylose and xylo-oligomers. Primarily produced by bacteria and fungi, these enzymes are crucial in industrial applications including paper pulp biobleaching, animal feed improvement, food processing, and biofuel production.
Everything You Need to Know
Is xylanase good for you?
As such, xylanase is essential for maintaining a happy, healthy digestive tract. Not only does xylanase promote the proper digestion of fiber-rich foods, it also boosts the body's natural enzyme activity to curtail digestive discomfort.
What is the xylanase enzyme used for?
Xylanase is employed in various industries, including the paper and pulp industry for bleaching pulp, the fruit juice industry for higher yield and quality products, the bakery industry for improving the texture of bread, and as an animal feed additive to improve nutritional value and reduce feed costs (Pasalari and ...
What does xylanase do in bread?
When mixed with wheat flour, xylanase can hydrolyze the glycosidic chain of wheat xylan to make it water-soluble. This can reduce the water holding capacity of non-starch polysaccharides in wheat flour, ultimately improving the performance of refined wheat bread.
What foods contain xylanase?
It has been heavily used in the breadmaking industry over the last few decades. Especially, in the production of white bread, whole wheat bread, multigrain bread, and many other baked goods.
Main Details:
Xylan is a polysaccharide belonging to the family of hemicelluloses, which make up the cell wall of plants. Xylan is present in dietary fibres and corresponds to a carbohydrate polymer of xylose.
It is broken down by enzymes called xylanases. These enzymes belong to the family of glycoside hydrolases. They need water molecules to function.
The xylanase degrades xylan and causes the release of xylose : a five-carbon ose (monosaccharide).
Like all mammals, man is not capable of synthesising xylanases, unlike bacteria, fungi, snails or insects, which possess the genes coding for xylanases.
As the human organism is not capable of producing this enzyme, the digestion of plant fibres is made more difficult. An intake of xylanase will therefore facilitate the digestion of the carbohydrates present in plant fibres.
Mode of Action: They break down the 𝛽-1,4-linked D-xylopyranose backbone of xylan, a key step in reducing plant-based material viscosity.
Industrial Uses:
Pulp & Paper: Used in biobleaching, reducing the need for toxic chlorine-based chemicals.
Animal Feed: Increases digestibility of wheat, barley, and other high-fiber ingredients in livestock diets.
Food/Biofuel: Used for processing wheat, extracting fruit juices, and breaking down plant biomass to fermentable sugars.
Sources: Microorganisms (bacteria, fungi) are the main producers, with some extremophilic varieties known for high heat and acid stability, ideal for industrial processing.
ANALYTICAL RESULTS
| Test Item | Method / Ref. | Specification | Result | Conclusion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Identification | In-house ID / label claim | Xylanase / Endo-1,4-β-xylanase | Conforms | Pass |
| Appearance | Visual | White to grey powder | White-grey powder | Pass |
| Enzyme Activity | Supplier xylanase assay | NLT 5,500 U/g | 5,920 U/g | Pass |
| Activity Unit Definition | Supplier-defined unit | Report only | U/g reported | Pass |
| Odor | Organoleptic | Normal fermentation odor | Conforms | Pass |
| Loss on Drying | Gravimetric | ≤ 8.0% | 4.6% | Pass |
| Lead (Pb) | ICP-MS / ICP-OES | ≤ 5.0 mg/kg | 0.20 mg/kg | Pass |
| Arsenic (As) | ICP-MS / ICP-OES | ≤ 3.0 mg/kg | 0.10 mg/kg | Pass |
| Total Plate Count | Plate count | ≤ 50,000 CFU/g | 2.0 × 10³ CFU/g | Pass |
| Coliforms | Plate count | ≤ 30 CFU/g | < 10 CFU/g | Pass |
| E. coli | Absence / count test | < 10 CFU/g | Not Detected | Pass |
| Salmonella | Absence test | Negative / 25 g | Not Detected | Pass |
| Antimicrobial Activity | JECFA/FCC-aligned purity check | Absent by test | Absent | Pass |
Production Process
