Improving the chemopreventive potential of orange juice by enzymatic biotransformation

Among the fruit-based beverages, orange juice is the most widely consumed. The Brazilian share of orange juice in the world market is around 53%. Consumers are increasingly demanding natural ingredients expected to be safe and health-promoting. The tannase enzyme, obtained from Paecilomyces variotti, was applied in this study with the purpose of biotransforming the orange juice polyphenols and, in this way, modifying their biological activity. It was demonstrated that the tannase extract was able to modify the polyphenolic composition of the orange juice and act in naringin and hesperidin in the removal of glycosides. The results of the enzymatic reactions of the hesperidin, naringin and orange juice samples were products with heightened functional activity in relation to the original samples, as demonstrated with in vitro tests of antioxidant activity (ORAC and DPPH) and an antiproliferation assay of human cells. The results demonstrate the benefits of the biotechnological modification of natural food molecules, improving the nutraceutical potential of a popular beverage. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.