New Complex Enzyme Preparation of Exo-Inulinase and Pectin Lyase for Use in the Jerusalem Artichoke Processing Technology

Abstract—Fructose–glucose syrups (FGSs) are widely used in the food industry as sweeteners. The use of inulo-containing raw materials, which include the Jerusalem artichoke, for their production leads to an increase in the proportion of fructose in the final product to 80–85%, which allows one to classify FGSs as a natural sweetener. Modern production of FGSs in the Russian Federation is based on the use of the enzyme exo-inulinase (EC 3.2.1.80), which hydrolyzes β-2,1-glycosidic bonds of the inulin molecule to produce fructose and glucose. In practice, an enzyme preparation based on this enzyme is added into fermenters of the extracted Jerusalem artichoke diffusion juice (DJ) before the microfiltration stage. However, in addition to the main polysaccharide, inulin (75–80%), DJ contains pectin (up to 5%), which creates an additional load on the microfiltration unit due to the viscosity of Jerusalem artichoke fermentolysates. Based on the fungal strain Penicillium verruculosum InuPel-10, a complex enzyme preparation (EP) of exo-inulinase/pectin lyase was obtained, which reduces the viscosity of Jerusalem artichoke extracts by 17–20%, while the yield of reducing sugars during hydrolysis using exo-inulinase/pectin lyase EP increased by 10%. The use of the complex EP InuPel-10 in the production of FGSs will reduce the cost of the EP by 10–16% due to the reduction in operating costs associated with a more fully loaded technological line for the production of this EP, in contrast to the production of individual enzymes and their further mixing in the required proportion.