What are the environmental benefits for using enzymes?

Enzymes can often replace chemicals or processes that present safety or environmental issues. For example:

1) Replacing acids in the starch processing industry;
2) Replacing acids, alkalis or oxidizing agents in fabric desizing;
3) Use of enzymes in the tanneries to reduce the use of sulfide;
4) Enzymes replace pumice stones for “stonewashing” jeans. This reduces pumice and waste;
5) Enzymes used in animal feeds allow complete digestion of feed leading to less animal waste per pound gained; and can be used in laundry products as stain remover which allows clothes to be washed at lower temperatures leading to energy-saving. Enzymes can be used instead of chlorine bleach for removing stains on cloth. The use of enzymes also allows the level of surfactants to be reduced and permits the cleaning of clothes in the absence of phosphates.

How does the YOJOBIO’s enzyme apply to deinking of waste paper?

The basic technology to recycle waste paper is a relatively straightforward process. The cellulosic fibers can readily be separated by repulping and cleaning, and made into new paper. The majority of the fillers and binders used in the original paper can be easily extracted during reprocessing. The residual printing inks and adhesives are the components which are most difficult to remove.
Historically, caustic surfactants and large quantities of wash water are used to separate the ink from the cellulosic fibers.
A large quantity of chemicals and wash water can be dramatically reduced by the use of the enzymes cellulase and hemicellulase. These enzymes are able to hydrolyze some of the linkages that entrap the ink.
Environmental Benefits: improved deinking creates more opportunities for recycled paper, less chemical discharge to waste streams, less wash water use, decreased load on landfills and better utilization of natural resources.

How does the YOJOBIO enzyme apply to bleaching of paper industry?

Helping papermakers reduce their load on environment.
It takes a lot of chemical processing to turn trees into white paper. The pulp and paper industry employs chlorine oxidants to bleach pulp. As a result, chlorine-containing organics, a class of compounds with toxicity concerns, are produced as by-products. The classic problem with chlorine bleaching is that in whitening the paper, papermakers are also left with a waste stream containing a range of chlorinated organic compounds, some of which scientists have demonstrated to be detrimental to our ecosystem.
Enzymes can help papermakers reduce the use of harsh chemicals such as chlorine bleach. Hemicellulase enzymes such as xylanase can enhance the bleaching efficacy allowing a dramatic reduction in the consumption of chlorine.
The enzymatic treatment opens up the pulp matrix allowing better penetration of the bleaching chemicals and better extraction or washout of lignin and the associated dark brown compounds.
Benefits: Environmentally less chlorine bleach, therefore less chlorinated organics in the waste stream; Fort consumer, white paper with lower environmental impact. Clean rivers and streams.

How does the YOJOBIO enzyme apply to degreasing of leather treatment?

Traditionally, the degreasing of sheepskins is done by solvent-extraction using paraffin solvent systems. A new process based on the enzymatic breakdown of fats by a lipase enzyme has been introduced to the leather industry. The enzymatic degreasing process replaces the solvent-based process. Since the enzyme interferes less with the skin structure, the enzymatic process also results in a product with improved quality, for example improved tear strength and more uniform color.
Benefits: Environmentally replaces solvent-based system, lowers volatile organic chemical load; For consumer, higher quality leather–the improved tear strength should be very meaningful to anyone with leather furniture!

How does the YOJOBIO enzyme apply to leather tanning treatment?

Leather Tanning with Enzymes: Dehairing, Bating Hides and skins have hair attached to them that must be removed for their use as leather. The conventional way to remove hair from hides is to use harsh chemicals such as lime and sodium sulfide. These chemicals completely dissolve the hair and open up the fiber structure.
With enzyme-assisted dehairing, it is possible to reduce the chemical requirements and obtain a cleaner product and a higher area yield with fewer chemicals in the wastewater. Since the enzyme does not dissolve the hair as the chemicals do, it is possible to filter out the hair, thus reducing the chemical and biological oxygen demand of the wastewater.
Additionally the hides and skins contain proteins and fat between the collagen fibers that must be all or partially removed before the hides can be tanned. To make the leather pliable, it is necessary to subject the hide to an enzymatic treatment before tanning to selectively dissolve certain protein components. This is called bating.
Traditionally, dog or pigeon dung was used as the bating agent. This was a difficult, unreliable and smelly process. Obviously, this was a very unpleasant environment to work in. Since “dung bates” owed their softening effect to the action of a protease enzyme, during the 20th century, the Leather Industry has switched over to using bacterial proteases and pancreatic trypsin.
Benefits: Environmentally lower chemical load to waste system. Lower odor during processing, for consumer, better leather, lower odor process for workers and the factory neighbors.

How does the YOJOBIO enzyme apply to ethanol fuel processing?

Prior to the discovery of petroleum, natural carbohydrates were used for the production of food, clothing and energy. Ethanol fuels can be derived from renewable resources: dedicated agricultural crops such as corn, sugar cane, and sugar beet or from agricultural byproducts such as whey from cheese making and potato processing waste streams. Ethanol can be used as a 100% replacement for petroleum fuels or as an extender. Ethanol can also be utilized in petroleum fuels as a replacement for the toxic oxygenate, Methyl t-Butyl Ether (MTBE).
Enzymes such as alpha-amylase, glucoamylase, invertase and lactase hydrolyze starch, sucrose and lactose into fermentable sugars. The sugars are then fermented with yeast to produce ethanol. The production of grain, oilseed and textile fibers results in a substantial quantity of underutilized agricultural crop residues. Although it is desirable to return some of this cellulosic residue back to the soil, much of this material could be diverted to ethanol. The current best available technology for conversion employs an acid hydrolysis of the biomass into sugars. The enzymatic alternative, using cellulase and hemicellulase, avoids the use of strong acids and results in a cleaner stream of sugars for fermentation and fewer by-products.
Environmental benefit: Greater utilization of natural, renewable resources, safer factory working conditions, reduced harmful auto emissions.
Consumer Benefit: Safer alternative to MTBE, augments existing supply of liquid fuel, i.e. gasoline.

How does the YOJOBIO enzyme apply to fruit juice industry?

Juices extracted from ripe fruit contain a significant amount of pectin.
Pectin imparts a cloudy appearance to the juice and results in an appearance and mouth-feel that many consumers do not find appealing. Pectinase naturally occurs in enzymes that act on pectin yielding a crystal clear juice with the appearance, stability, mouth-feel, taste, and texture characteristics preferred by consumers. While pectinase naturally occurs in most fruits used to make juice, the manufacturer often adds more to produce clear juice in a reasonable amount of time.

How does the YOJOBIO enzyme apply to beer industry?

Calorie-conscious consumers can enjoy reduced calorie beer thanks to the use of special enzymes in the brewing process. Major ingredients used in the production of beer include, barley, rice, and other grains. The grains are essential components in the conversion of carbohydrates to alcohol during yeast fermentation. First, simple carbohydrates are converted to alcohol followed by conversion of carbohydrates of increasing complexity, until the desired alcoholcontent is achieved. The remaining carbohydrate remains as a component of the finished product. By using enzymes to transform the complex carbohydrates to simpler sugars, the desired alcohol content can be achieved with a smaller amount of added grain. This results in a beer with fewer carbohydrate calories and ultimately, a lower calorie beer.

How does the YOJOBIO enzyme apply to baking industry?

To ensure high-quality bread, enzymes are often used to modify the starch that in turn keeps the bread softer for a longer period of time.
The staling of white bread is considered to be related to a change in the starch. Over time, the moisture in the starch becomes unbound when starch granules revert from a soluble to an insoluble form. When the starch can no longer “hold” water, it loses its flexibility and the bread becomes hard and brittle. This results in a subsequent reduction in taste appeal of the bread and it is termed “stale”. By choosing the right enzyme, the starch can be modified during baking to retard staling. The bread stays soft and flavorful for a longer time, 3-6days.

What benefits are there when YOJOBIO enzymes are applied to starch sugar processing?

Environmental Benefits: Reduced use of strong acids and bases, reduced energy consumption (less greenhouse gas), less corrosive waste, and safer production environment for workers.
Consumer Benefits: Sweetener availability and stable prices due to the ability to source from starch as an alternative to sugar cane and sugar beets; consistent, higher quality syrups.

How does the YOJOBIO enzyme apply to starch sugar processing?

During the 19th century, boiling starch with strong acids like sulfuric acid produced sugar syrups. This harsh process became a predominant method to make a range of starch syrups. However, by the middle of the 20th century, enzymes were rapidly supplanting the use of strong acids in the manufacture of sugar syrups.
The use of enzymes provides many advantages, including higher quality products, energy efficiency, and a safer working environment. Processing equipment also lasts longer since the milder conditions reduce corrosion.
In the 1970’s, another syrup was developed that closely mimicked the sweetness of sucrose (table sugar). This became known as High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS). Although this syrup can be made chemically with sodium hydroxide, the extremely high alkalinity limits the yield since large amounts of byproducts are formed. Because of these limitations, the use of enzymes with greater specificity and mild use-conditions emerged as the production method of choice. Today the production of HFCS is a major industry, which converts large quantities of corn (maize) and other botanical starches to this and other useful sweeteners. These sweeteners are used in soft drinks, candies, baking, jams and jellies and many other foods.

How does the YOJOBIO enzyme apply to yarn treatment of textile industry?

In the preparation of cotton yarn for dyeing and garment manufacture, hydrogen peroxide is used to bleach the yarn. Normally, either a reducing agent is used to neutralize the hydrogen peroxide or water is used to rinse out the hydrogen peroxide bleach since it must be removed for proper dyeing. An enzyme, catalase, can be used to breakdown the hydrogen peroxide to water and oxygen. With the use of catalase, the reducing agent can be eliminated or the amount of rinse water can be dramatically reduced, resulting in less polluted wastewater or lower water consumption.
The benefits have been documented in a Life Cycle Analysis. Again, enzymes can help us develop sustainable processes by lowering the environmental impact we humans impose.
Environmentally such application can reduce chemical load and water consumption and also lower energy consumption.

What benefits are there when YOJOBIO enzymes are applied to textile industry?

1) Lower discharge of chemicals and wastewater, decrease handling of hazardous chemicals for textile workers;
3) To improved fabric quality for stonewashed jeans:
Traditionally, to get the look and feel of stonewashed jeans, pumice stones were used. However, thanks to the introduction of cellulase, the jeans industry can reduce and even eliminate the use of stones. Of course, a big driver for the jeans industry is fashion. Enzymes give the manufacturer a newer, easier set of tools to create new looks. Although many consumers do not want their jeans to look or feel new, they usually do not want them to look worn-out or torn. The pumice stones used to “stonewash” the denim clothes can also over abrade or damage the garment. By using enzymes, the manufacturer can give consumers the look they want, without damaging the garment.
3) Environmentally: Less mining, reduced waste, less energy, less clogging of municipal pipes with stones, and stone dust fewer worn out machines and pipes attributed to stones and stone dust.
4) Consumer Benefits: more fashion choices. Longer garment life/wear due to lower damage of original fabric.

How does the YOJOBIO enzyme apply to textile industry?

Textile processing has benefited greatly on both environmental and product quality aspects through the use of enzymes. Prior to weaving of yarn into fabric, the warp yarns are coated with a sizing agent to lubricate and protect the yarn from abrasion during weaving. Historically, the main sizing agent used for cotton fabrics has been starch because of its excellent film forming capacity, availability, and relatively low cost. Before the fabric can be dyed, the applied sizing agent and the natural non-cellulosic materials present in the cotton must be removed. Before the discovery of amylase enzymes, the only alternative to remove the starch-based sizing was extended treatment with caustic soda at high temperature. The chemical treatment was not totally effective in removing the starch (which leads to imperfections in dyeing) and also results in a degradation of the cotton fiber resulting in destruction of the natural, soft feel, or hand, of the cotton.
The use of amylases to remove starch-based sizing agents has decreased the use of harsh chemicals in the textile industry, resulting in a lower discharge of waste chemicals to the environment, improved the safety of working conditions for textile workers and has raised the quality of the fabric. New enzymatic processes are being developed (cellulase, hemicellulase, pectinase and lipase), which offer the potential to totally replace the use of other chemicals in textile preparation processes.

How many grades does the enzyme fall into?

Enzyme products can divide as industry grade, food grade and medicine grade! It was divided according to the microbial indicator and heavy metal indicator of the products. The enzyme products of food and medicine grade have strict requirements to these indicators but industry grade enzymes don’t require it. The enzyme products of food grade and medicine grade can not add into the food or medicine directly but in the process of raw material producing.

What is the advantage of enzymes?

The use of enzymes frequently results in many benefits that cannot be obtained with traditional chemical treatment. These often include higher product quality and lower manufacturing cost, and less waste and reduced energy consumption. More traditional chemical treatments are generally nonspecific, not always easily controlled, and may create harsh conditions. Often they produce undesirable side effects and/or waste disposal problems. The degree to which a desired technical effect is achieved by an enzyme can be controlled through various means, such as dose, temperature, and time. Because enzymes are catalysts, the amount added to accomplish a reaction is relatively small. For example, an enzyme preparation in most food uses is equal to 0.1% (or less) of the product. Enzymes used in food processing are generally destroyed during subsequent processing steps and not present in the final food product.

How are enzymatic preparations made?

Commercial sources of enzymes are obtained from three primary sources, i.e., animal tissue, plants and microbes. These naturally occurring enzymes are quite often not readily available in sufficient quantities for food applications or industrial use. However, by isolating microbial strains that produce the desired enzyme and optimizing the conditions for growth, commercial quantities can be obtained. This technique, well known for more than 3,000 years, is called fermentation. Today, this fermentation process is carried out in a contained vessel. Once fermentation is completed, the microorganisms are destroyed; the enzymes are isolated, and further processed for commercial use. Enzyme manufacturers produce enzymes in accordance with all applicable governmental regulations, including the appropriate federal agencies (e.g., Food and Drug Administration, United States Department of Agriculture, Environmental Protection Agency, etc.). Regardless of the source, enzymes intended for food use are produced in strict adherence to FDA’s current Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and meet compositional and purity requirements as defined in the Food Chemicals Codex (a compendium of food ingredient specifications developed in cooperation with the FDA).

How are enzymes used?

Enzymes play a diversified role in many aspects of daily life including aiding in digestion, the production of food and several industrial applications. Enzymes are nature’s catalysts. Humankind has used them for thousands of years to carry out important chemical reactions for making products such as cheese, beer, and wine. Bread and yogurt also owe their flavor and texture to a range of enzyme producing organisms that were domesticated many years ago.

What types of enzymes are there?

Enzymes are categorized according to the compounds they act upon. Some of the most common include: proteases which break down proteins, cellulase which break down cellulose, lipases which split fats (lipids) intoglycerol and fatty acids, and amylases which break down starch into simple sugars.

How are enzymes produced in a manufacturing process?

These naturally occurring enzymes are quite often not available in sufficient quantities for industrial use. Biotechnology offers the possibility of producing enzymes for industrial use by optimizing the living conditions of a microorganism and, therefore, improving its “production capacity”. This technique, well known for more than 3,000 years, is called fermentation. After this fermentation process, the enzymes are isolated, and further processed for industrial use.

What are the factors that can cause enzyme activity loss?

Heat, ultraviolet radiation, radialization, carbamide, acid, alkali, heavy metal ion, etc.

Are enzymes safe?

Enzymes have been safely used for thousands of years. One of the earliest examples of industrial enzyme use was in the production of whiskey. Over the years, enzymes have also been used in beauty and oral care products, textiles, food (e.g. yogurt) and for the fermentation of cheese, beer and wine.

How do enzymes work?

Enzymes are natural protein molecules that act as highly efficient catalysts in biochemical reactions, meaning they help a chemical reaction to take place quickly and efficiently. Enzymes not only work efficiently and rapidly, they are also biodegradable. Enzymes are highly efficient in increasing the reaction rate of biochemical processes which typically proceed very slowly, or in some cases, not at all.

What is GMO?

GMO is the acronym for “genetically modified organism”. It is used to describe organisms (plant, animal or microbial) that have been altered through use of modern biotechnology.

What are enzymes?

Enzymes are complex proteins produced by all living cells. These proteins accelerate specific chemical reactions without undergoing any alteration them- selves (they act as biological catalysts).

What Probiotics (Microecologics, Effective Microorganisms) do you handle?

Bacillus subtilis, bacillus licheniformis, lactobacillus acidophilus, bacillus natto, clostridium butyricum, bacillus coagulans, bacillus megaterium, candidautilis, compound probiotics, and probiotic fluid.