REFINES: Fungal Enzymes for Off-Flavor Degradation in Potato Protein Side-Streams

The poster was presented at the Food Analytics Conference held in Copenhagen on November 13, 2025. The poster was designed using Inkscape, and illustrations were created with or adapted from BioRender.com. Abstract for poster presentation Potato proteins from the side-stream of industrial starch production offer excellent nutritional value and functional properties as food ingredients, and they are available in large quantities. However, their use as an ingredient in food is currently limited by pronounced off-flavors, partly caused by secondary plant metabolites such as the major potato glycoalkaloids, α-chaconine and α-solanine, which confer bitterness. While microbial degradation of these compounds has been reported, little is known about the enzymes involved. Interestingly, certain fungal pathogens of potato are able to metabolize glycoalkaloids as part of their strategy to circumvent the antimicrobial activity of these compounds. Elucidating the enzymatic basis of this metabolic process could, in turn, open new possibilities for targeted off-flavor reduction in food-grade potato protein side-stream, thereby enhancing its potential as an attractive protein source for human consumption. In this study, we screen a diverse set of filamentous fungi for their ability to produce enzymes capable of degrading α-chaconine and α-solanine. By identifying fungi with glycoalkaloid-degrading activity, we aim to shed light on the metabolic pathways involved and discover novel enzymes with potential for industrial application. To facilitate this, we are developing a robotics-assisted high-throughput screening platform for efficient identification and comparison of fungal enzymes for off-flavor degradation. The platform will accelerate the discovery of candidate enzymes for integration into a broad range of food processing workflows, ultimately improving the sensory quality and consumer acceptance of potato protein ingredients. Our work bridges industrial side-stream valorization, fungal enzymology, and food flavor science, paving the way for sustainable and palatable plant-based proteins.This study is part of the REFINES project that is funded by Plant2Food.