title: Recent patents on microbial proteases for the dairy industry.
abstract: This paper reviews the general characteristics of exo and endopeptidases of microbial origin currently used in the milk industry. It also includes recent patents developed either to potentiate the enzymatic activity or to improve the resulting milk derivatives. The main application of these proteases is in the cheese-making industry. Although this industry preferentially uses animal rennets, and in particular genetically engineered chymosins, it also utilizes milk coagulants of microbial origin. Enzymes derived from Rhizomucor miehei, Rhizomucor pusillus and Cryphonectria parasitica are currently used to replace the conventional milk-clotting enzymes. In addition, the dairy industry uses microbial endo and exoproteases for relatively new applications, such as debittering and flavor generation in cheese, accelerated cheese ripening, manufacture of protein hydrolysates with improved functional properties, and production of enzyme-modified cheeses. Lactic acid bacteria play an essential role in these processes, hence these bacteria and the proteases they produce are currently being investigated by the dairy industry and are the subject of many of their patent applications.
authors.forename: Lucía
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Feijoo-Siota
authors.forename: Lucía
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Blasco
authors.forename: José Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Rama
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Barros-Velázquez
authors.forename: Trinidad de
authors.initials: Td
authors.lastname: Miguel
authors.forename: Angeles
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Pérez
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Nutrition and Food Science, Faculty of Pharmacy and School of Biotechnology, University of Santiago de Compostela, Praza Seminario de Estudos Galegos, s/n. Campus Sur, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain. tomas.gonzalez@usc.es.
authors.forename: Tomás G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Villa
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000201:enzymology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D003611:Dairy Products; D003612:Dairying / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D005511:Food Handling / Q000379:methods; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D005658:Fungi / Q000201:enzymology; D010330:Patents as Topic; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism*; D013649:Taste
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases