Producing mixed linked xylooligosaccharides from red algae biomass through single-step enzymatic hydrolysis

Area of Science:

• Marine biotechnology
• Biochemistry
• Food science

Background:

• The red alga Palmaria palmata contains abundant, accessible mixed-linkage xylans.
• Xylans can be enzymatically hydrolyzed into xylooligosaccharides (XOS) with beneficial prebiotic, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a simplified, one-step enzymatic process for direct XOS production from P. palmata biomass.
• To characterize the structure of the produced XOS and optimize yield.

Main Methods:

• Utilized endo-1,4-β-xylanase (FO15_GH10) for direct hydrolysis of P. palmata biomass.
• Employed xylosidase (FO17_GH43) to modify XOS structure and increase xylose yield.
• Determined XOS structure using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Mass Spectrometry (MS/MS).

Main Results:

• Achieved approximately 17.6% XOS yield using FO15_GH10 alone.
• Increased XOS yield to 22.6% by combining FO15_GH10 and FO17_GH43.
• Demonstrated production of specific 1,3- and mixed-linkage XOS (DP 2-4).

Conclusions:

• Developed an efficient and sustainable one-step enzymatic method for XOS production from P. palmata.
• Eliminated the need for prior xylan extraction, reducing resource consumption.
• Characterized XOS products, paving the way for future research on their functional properties.