ENZYME FUNCTIONALITY

Enzymes

Enzymes are proteins that catalyze chemical reactions. They are highly specific and

needed in only minute quantities. Certain enzymes have long been used to produce specific

food. The uses of enzymes in brewing, cheese manufacture, meat tenderization, baking and

protein hydrolysis are well known, having been used for many years (Brand,1985). Nowadays,

enzymes have numerous applications and are increasing in commercial importance. Moreover,

there has never been any health problem by using an enzyme in food processing (Pariza, 1983).

There is an enzyme, Trichoderma reese. This enzyme is used to increase softness of breads. In

a research paper from Lurikainen (1998). The research shows the enhancement of bread’s

softness. Using rye bran supplementation of wheat flour increased the farinograph absorption

and the dough. However, it did not enhance stability and softening of the dough. The added

enzymes, such as Trichoderma reese, decreased dough stability and increased softening. In

addition, addition of enzyme caused significant differences in the stickiness of the wheat

dough. For these reasons, if this enzyme is used to produce burger breads, the bread will have

softer texture and flavor. Enzymes also play an important role in tenderizing meat products.

The treatment of proteolytic enzymes is one of the popular methods for meat tenderization. In

a research article from Kang (1970), meat cut were dipped in a solution containing proteolytic

enzymes for three hours after contact-osmotic dehydration. Then, the meat was subjected to

texture measurement and sensory evaluations. The results showed that the meat preserved in

an enzyme solution had more juiciness, taste, and tenderness. The enzyme, proteolytic

enzymes, can be easily found in ginger (Thompson, 1973). The proteolytic activity of ginger

rhizome is protected by dithiothreitol during extraction and reaction in a solution. Regarding

that, -SH groups are involve at the active site. The soluble peptide amino acids or terminal

amino acids indicate that the proteolysis of collagen is many fold than actomyosin. The

combination between proteolysis of these two muscle protein fractions by ginger protease

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resulted in significant tenderization of meat (Lee, 1986). In terms of that, marinating meat in a

ginger solution can be affected by a natural enzyme from the ginger, and the enzyme will cause

tenderization of the meats. In Asian countries, garlic, scallion, and ginger are mainly used as a

basic cooking ingredients to add more aromas and flavors for sautéing, braising, and steaming.

Moreover, meats are generally marinated in a solution mixed with the three basic ingredients.

Even though most Asian people have not realized why the meats are tenderized in the solution,

the tenderization of the meats in a ginger solution can be explained by the enzyme functionality.

In terms of that, natural ingredients, such as ginger, apple, pineapple, or other vegetables and

fruits, typically include various enzymes. To utilize enzymes from these ingredients within the

kitchen, it is important to understand and study basic ingredient functionalities.

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Reference
Brand, J. C., Nicholson, P. L., Thorburn, A. W., & Truswell, A. S. (1985). Food processing
and the glycemic index. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 42(6), 1192-1196.

Kang, C. K., & RICE, E. E. (1970). Degradation of various meat fractions by tenderizing
enzymes. Journal of Food Science, 35(5), 563-565.

Laurikainen, T., Härkönen, H., Autio, K., & Poutanen, K. (1998). Effects of enzymes in
fibre‐enriched baking. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 76(2), 239-
249.

Lee, Y. B., Sehnert, D. J., & Ashmore, C. R. (1986). Tenderization of meat with ginger
rhizome protease. Journal of Food Science, 51(6), 1558-1559.

Pariza, M. W., & Foster, E. M. (1983). Determining the safety of enzymes used in food
processing. Journal of Food Protection, 46(5), 453-468.

Thompson, E. H., Wolf, I. D., & Allen, C. E. (1973). Ginger rhizome: A new source of
proteolytic enzyme. Journal of Food Science, 38(4), 652-655.

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