What’s the
connection?
Enzymes in industry
Learning objectives
Enzymes from microorganisms have many uses in the home
and in industry
Proteases and lipases are used in biological detergents
Proteases, carbohydrases and isomerase are used in food
manufacture
Advantages and disadvantages of using enzymes at home and
in industry
Enzymes can be used as diagnostic tool in medicine and to
treat some diseases
Enzymes in the home
How many items are made using enzymes?
You have already done a practical with an enzyme used in
industry. Can you remember what it was?
Pectinase break down substances in apple cell walls and
enable greater juice extraction.
What are enzymes used for in industry?
• Biological washing
powders
• Making soft centred
chocolates
• Pre-digesting baby food
so babies can eat it more
easily
•
Making diet foods
Chocolate
Isomerase converts the sugar glucose into fructose,
another type of sugar.
Fructose is sweeter than glucose, so a smaller amount is
needed. This makes fructose syrup a useful ingredient in
slimming foods.
Invertase is used to create soft-centered chocolates. The
centre initially contains sucrose (cane sugar) and is hard.
The invertase breaks
down the sucrose into the
simpler sugars glucose
and sucrose, making the
centre soft and runny.
Enzymes are used in biological washing powders
• Proteases break down the coloured, insoluble proteins
that cause stains to smaller, colourless soluble
polypeptides.
• Can wash at lower temperatures
Lactose intolerant?
Lactase breaks down lactose in milk into glucose and galactose.
This makes milk drinkable for lactose intolerant people.
Bio vs. Non- Bio?
What’s the difference?
Biological = contains proteases, amylases,
lipases. Work best at 40 oC.
Bio vs. Non- Bio?
Biological = contains proteases, amylases,
lipases. Work best at 40 oC.
Enzymes to break down stains
from sweat, fat, grass, blood etc.
Environmentally
friendly as
washes can be
done at lower
temperatures
Baby Food
Proteases pre- digest
proteins for the baby.
Sports Drinks
Starch is converted
to sugar syrup
using
carbohydrases.
Starch is very cheap as it is made
by plants like Corn. Therefore using
enzymes to convert plant starch
into sweet sugar is a cheap source
of sweetness
Slimming Foods
Glucose is converted to fructose using
isomerase.
Fructose is sweeter so we use less of it =
fewer calories.
Diagnostics
• Liver enzymes found in the blood indicate liver damage
• Urine from diabetics contains glucose. An enzyme in
clinistrips breaks down glucose which causes an
indicator to change colour.
Medicine
• Lipase is put in capsules for people with pancreatic
disease
• The enzyme streptokinase is injected into heart attack
patients to dissolve blood clots
• Enzymes are used to treat blood cancer in children
Enzyme
Enzyme use
What it does
Proteases
baby food
break down stains
Proteases and
lipases
biological
washing powders
changes lactose
to glucose and
galactose
Carbohydrases
change starch
pre-digests some
proteins
Isomerase
convert glucose
turns into the
sweeter fructose
Complete on
your sheet.
Lactase
make milk for
turns it into sugar
lactose intolerant
syrup
people
NB. These
are NOT in
the
correct
place!
Answers
Enzyme
enzyme use
what it does
Proteases
baby food
pre-digests some
proteins
Proteases and
lipases
Carbohydrases
Isomerase
Lactase
biological
washing powders break down stains
change starch
turns into sugar
syrup
turns into the
convert glucose sweeter fructose
make yoghurt
changes lactose
to glucose and
galactose
Complete
on your
sheet.
NB. These
are NOT in
the correct
place!
advantages
disadvantages
Enzymes can be expensive
to produce
Work at relatively low
temperatures
Denatures at high
temperatures
Sensitive pH changes
Efficient catalysts
Work at relatively low
pressures
Cheap to run process
Microbes used to produce
enzymes need food,
oxygen and waste removed
advantages
disadvantages
Work at relatively low
temperatures
Denatures at high
temperatures
Work at relatively low
pressures
Sensitive pH changes
Efficient catalysts
Enzymes can be expensive
to produce
Cheap to run process
Microbes used to produce
enzymes need food,
oxygen and waste removed
Answers
Make a poster explaining the uses
of enzymes in industry
Include:
• Baby food
• Washing powders-biological detergents
• Making sugar syrup
• Making diet foods
• Making chocolates with soft fillings
• Fruit juice
• Medicine
Summary
• Keywords:
catalyst
catalyse
protein
catalase
amylase
lactase
pectinase
trypsin
pepsin
substrate
active site
product
temperature
optimum
denature
pH
protease
enzyme