In the age of technology, nanoparticles have proven to be one of the essential needs for development. These nanoparticles have the potential to be used for a wide variety of applications, thereby, development in improving the quality of nanoparticles, to make them more application specific, is still under research. In this regard, an important point to note is that the procedures employed in synthesizing nanoparticles require to be cost-effective and less-steps involved and have an additional advantage, i.e. they should be eco-friendly. This means that the synthesis procedure needs avoiding the use of harmful chemicals, and negligible generation of any noxious by-products. The green synthesis (biosynthesis) method employs simple procedures, easily available raw materials and ambiance for the synthesis process, where the precursors used are safe, with minute possibility for the production of harmful by-products. Considering these advantages, the current review includes a brief description on the various chemical and physical synthesis method of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles with emphasis on the biosynthesis of ZnO nanoparticles using plant extracts (and briefly microbes), the phytochemicals present in the plant extracts, the plausible mechanisms involved in the formation of ZnO nanoparticles and applications of the as-synthesized ZnO nanoparticles as photocatalysts and microbial inhibitors.

A review on bio-synthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles using plant extracts as reductants and stabilizing agents.

L-asparaginase (LA) catalyzes the degradation of asparagine, an essential amino acid for leukemic cells, into ammonia and aspartate. Owing to its ability to inhibit protein biosynthesis in lymphoblasts, LA is used to treat acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Different isozymes of this enzyme have been isolated from a wide range of organisms, including plants and terrestrial and marine microorganisms. Pieces of information about the three-dimensional structure of L-asparaginase from Escherichia coli and Erwinia sp. have identified residues that are essential for catalytic activity. This review catalogues the major sources of L-asparaginase, the methods of its production through the solid state (SSF) and submerged (SmF) fermentation, purification, and characterization as well as its biological roles. In the same breath, this article explores both the past and present applications of this important enzyme and discusses its future prospects.

A Comprehensive Review on l-Asparaginase and Its Applications

Multi-functional application of Moringa oleifera Lam. in nutrition and animal food products: A review.

Synthesis, optimization and applications of ZnO/polymer nanocomposites.

http://www.scielo.br/pdf/bjm/v47s1/1517-8382-bjm-47-s1-0077.pdf

Current applications and different approaches for microbial l-asparaginase production.

Moringa oleifera: A review on nutritive importance and its medicinal application

Nanostructured ZnO gas sensors obtained by green method and combustion technique

Industrial fermentation is the process that has been used in the production of a variety of bio-products that have a broad area of applications. Among the processes, the Solid State Fermentation (SSF) is vital, and its utilization has been growing every day. It is used in many industries including fertilizers, pharma, and food, where it has gained its importance as a substitute for the Submerged Fermentation (SmF). One primary application of SSF is in the production of enzymes that can be used for therapeutic purposes, whose yield is low and cost is higher in case of conventional methods. The major advantage of using SSF is the fact that raw materials for this process are obtained from agricultural wastes and to an extent some industrially produced wastes can be utilized. The usage of SSF is limited because of its inability to be used in large-scale production and in the extraction of the required products. The primary requirement is to overcome any difficulties that are associated with the currently used industrial bioreactors. Important factors that have to be considered is that every reactor has its own significance, and they can give a much better result when compared to other bioreactors; an extensive study has to be done to determine which bioreactors have a better capability on any particular enzyme. The main aim of this review is to study the limitations (e.g. heat transfer) of the conventional bioreactors that are available and how to overcome these limitations shall be addressed in the review.

Design of solid state bioreactor for industrial applications: An overview to conventional bioreactors

L-Asparaginase (L-asparagine aminohydrolase, E.C. 3.5.1.1) has been proven to be competent in treating Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL), which is widely observed in paediatric and adult groups. Currently, clinical L-Asparaginase formulations are derived from bacterial sources such as Escherichia coli and Erwinia chrysanthemi. These formulations when administered to ALL patients lead to several immunological and hypersensitive reactions. Hence, additional purification steps are required to remove toxicity induced by the amalgamation of other enzymes like glutaminase and urease. Production of L-Asparaginase that is free of glutaminase and urease is a major area of research. In this paper, we report the screening and isolation of fungal species collected from the soil and mosses in the Schirmacher Hills, Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica, that produce L-Asparaginase free of glutaminase and urease. A total of 55 isolates were obtained from 33 environmental samples that were tested by conventional plate techniques using Phenol red and Bromothymol blue as indicators. Among the isolated fungi, 30 isolates showed L-Asparaginase free of glutaminase and urease. The L-Asparaginase producing strain Trichosporon asahii IBBLA1, which showed the highest zone index, was then optimized with a Taguchi design. Optimum enzyme activity of 20.57 U mL−1 was obtained at a temperature of 30 °C and pH of 7.0 after 60 hours. Our work suggests that isolation of fungi from extreme environments such as Antarctica may lead to an important advancement in therapeutic applications with fewer side effects.

Microbes Producing L-Asparaginase free of Glutaminase and Urease isolated from Extreme Locations of Antarctic Soil and Moss.

One of the prime candidates in the treatment of debilitating human cancers includes a family of enzymes referred to as Lasparaginases. The efficacious antitumor activity of these enzymes finds use in countering Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), a commonly diagnosed pediatric cancer. The enzyme's use is merited by the high remission rate and fairly rapid response with therapeutic index (1000). However, the downside to the use of this enzyme is the huge expenses involved in the treatment coupled with a high demand. Therefore, a great deal of interest has emerged in studying the possibilities of harnessing potential microorganisms that house this enzyme. Appropriate characterizations with low toxicity, less hypersensitivity without side effects are required for a large scale production. This review, hence, mainly focuses on the biochemical aspects of L-asparaginase production, aiming to comprehend the physiochemical characteristics, application and assay methods of L-asparaginase, enzyme properties and kinetics of recombinant enzyme production by fermentation. Processes central to these biochemical aspects, including Submerged Fermentation and Solid State Fermentation of Lasparaginase producing organisms and downstream processing of the enzyme are also discussed.

/pdf/l-asparaginase-from-microbes-a-comprehensive-review-465jt9knzz.pdf

Devarai Santhosh Kumar

Papers

Moringa oleifera: A review on nutritive importance and its medicinal application

Nanostructured ZnO gas sensors obtained by green method and combustion technique

Design of solid state bioreactor for industrial applications: An overview to conventional bioreactors

Microbes Producing L-Asparaginase free of Glutaminase and Urease isolated from Extreme Locations of Antarctic Soil and Moss.

L-Asparaginase from Microbes: a Comprehensive Review