A mini-review on cold-adapted enzymes from psychrotrophic microorganisms in foods: Benefits and challenges

Abstract

Low-temperature storage is an important method for maintaining food quality. However, some microorganisms are capable of adapting to low temperatures which can lead to the deterioration of the food quality. These cold-tolerant microorganisms have evolved various strategies to adjust to low temperatures, among which the expression of cold-adapted enzymes plays a crucial role in maintaining their metabolic activities. This review paper provides a concise overview of current studies on cold-adapted microorganisms species found in food and their cold-adapted mechanisms. It also compares the structure, enzymatic properties, and progress of microbial cold-adapted enzymes to demonstrate how they maintain activity at low temperature. Additionally, the potential impact of these enzymes on food quality is introduced, including protease, lipases, amylases, decarboxylase, etc. Moreover, the research progress of enzyme inhibitory techniques (high pressure processing, dense phase carbon dioxide, cold plasma, ultraviolet light, ohmic heating, and biological resourced inactivators) in recent years are reviewed, which could provide a reference for inhibiting the cold-adapted enzymes’ activity of cold-adapted microorganisms in foods and prolonging the shelf life of foods.