PhD Oral Defense: Encapsulation of Laccase Enzymatic Extract, from Coriolus hirsutus, and its Biocatalysis in Solvent-Free Media

PhD Oral Defense of Jagpreet K. Gill, Bioresource Engineering.

Antioxidants have become an essential group of food additives/food supplements, where they are incorporated for better natural color and flavor preservation as well as for their nutritional quality. Phenolic compounds are plant secondary metabolite derivatives, with antioxidant capacity, and constitute a major component of the human diet. It has been reported that oligophenols have better physiochemical properties as compared to those of their corresponding higher polymers. Oligophenols could be synthesized via chemical or enzyme-catalyzed reactions. In contrast to chemical synthesis, the enzyme-catalyzed reactions offer a higher substrate specificity, relatively mild reaction conditions and reduced toxicity. Laccases are blue multi-copper oxidases that catalyze the oxidation of various aromatic and non-aromatic compounds into oligo- and polyphenols. The use of enzyme-catalyzed reactions is often limited due to problems associated with their sensitivity; however, such limitations can be overcome by their immobilization.

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