ABSTRACT
Some food products have nutritional properties, but its consumption is somewhat limited in part of the population due to some digestion problems or intolerances it provokes. This chapter focuses on the importance of galactosidases to improve health and quality of foods containing, reducing the levels of indigestible oligosaccharides and disaccharides. Several studies have shown the production and the application of α and b-galactosidases to reduce undigested components, naturally present in foods to minimize digestion problems. α-galactosidases is a glycoside hydrolase enzyme that hydrolyses the terminal α-galactosyl from glycolipids, glycoproteins, and nondigestible oligosaccharides such as galactooligosaccahrides, raffinose and stachyose, present in soy-derived products, limiting human consumption of these products. This enzyme is not synthesized by mammals, including man which is necessary for the hydrolysis of these sugars. β-galactosidases is another group of galactosidases also important in food processing mainly in dairy-products processing to achieved lower lactose content to people who has lactose intolerance. β-galactosidases is a hydrolase enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of β-galactosides into monosaccharides, acting on lactosylceramides, lactose, and various glycoproteins (Dorland’s Illustrated Medical Dictionary, Retrieved October 22, 2006),lactase being a sub-class of β-galactosidase. Researches in galactosidases’ production and purification are being done to apply these enzymes in new dairy-products. The development of new food products containing healthy benefits and which minimized digestive problems are world-wide consumption trends.
