ABSTRACT
The important role of enzymes in food and food systems is aptly underscored by the description of some 60 enzymes in this handbook. These encompass all major six classes of enzymes-oxidoreductases, transferases, hydrolases, lyases, isomerases, and ligases-that catalyze various reactions contributing to the characterisitc features and quality attributes of a particular food. Food scientists investigate the fundamentals of enzymology, extract the information obtained from biochemical studies, and apply them to the use and control of enzymes for preserving and producing better foods. Of the 4000 known enzymes, only a handful of them are currently used in industry, 45% are for food processing (Table 1). The future of enzyme technology foresees an increasing use of recombinant DNA technology and biotechnological processes for the discovery and development of novel enzymes and for better utilization of our food resources. Four research areas of emerging importance are described in this chapter: The study of extremophilic enzymes will change the landscape of our current knowledge on the use of enzymes; the rapid advances in developing novel techniques in protein engineering provide an ever increasing powerful tool for tailoring enzyme structural and functional properties; the ability to manipulate metabolic enzymes in biosynthetic pathways provides new opportunities for in vivo modification of food components; and the recent development of innovative approaches in the construction of artificial enzymes results in much improved catalytic activities,
and substantiates the potential of their future roles in enzyme technology.
