Food Biotechnology Assignment

 Food Biotechnology

WHAT IS BIOTECHNOLGY?

Biotechnolgy = bios (life)+ techno (tools) + logos (study of)

The study of tools from living things. It's any technological application that use biological systems, living organisms(or parts of living organisms)to make, modify, impove plants or animals for benificial use.

Definations of biotechnology: Biotechnology is the application of biological organisms systems or process to manufacturing and servise industries.(British biotechnologists)

Biotecnhology is integraed use of biochemestry,microbiology and engineering sciences in order to achieve technological application of microbes, cultured cells and parts there of (European federation of biotechnologists)

Biotechnology is the controlled use of biological agents, such as microbes or cellular components. (U.S.Nationel science foundation)

BIOTECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONS:

Medical and pharmaceutical biotechnology:

• Anti biotiques

• Vaccines

• Humain hormones(insulin)

• Tissue engineering Stem cells

• Cancer therapies

Environemental biotechnology:

• Biofuel, biodiesel, biogas

• Use bacteria and some plants to clean up environmental wastes

Definition of Food Biotechnology: Food biotechnology is a branch of food science in which modern biotechnological techniques are applied to improve food production or food itself. Different biotechnological processes used to create and improve new food and beverage products include industrial fermentation, plant and animal cultures, and genetic engineering. Technically speaking, Food biotechnology employs the tools of modern genetics to enhance beneficial traits of plants, animals and microorganisms for food production. It involves adding or extracting select genes to achieve desired traits.

History of food Biotechnology

Ancient stage: Begins with early civilization. Useful plants brought from the wild, planted Near caves, where people lived. Using processes that prevented or slow the Spoilage. Eg.heating by fire.

Classical stage: Wide use of fermentation.4000yr ago the production of cheese, the first food Biotechnology product, through fermentation of milk, by NOMADIC tribes in Asia. use of enzyme rennet, came from clave stomach, In fermentation.

Modern stage: Based on genetic research since mid 1800's. Production of new varieties of desired crop plants and other organisms. Become possible with introduction of recombinant DNA technology, in 1973. IN 1990, the first recombinant DNA food Biotechnology derived crop was tomato called FLAVR SAVR.

Benefits of food Biotechnology

Food biotechnology and animal benefits.

Animal feed:

• Enhance animal productivity.

• Improved human nutrition in developing

• countries where meat consumption is very much lower than that in developed countries.

• increased oil content about 6% in maize corn as compare to 35% in conventional one.

Food biotechnology and environmental benefits.

• The introduction of new varieties of crops exhibiting resistance to pests, environmentally benign herbicides and viruses.eg canola field requires only one herbicides instead of two.

• Reduction in soil erosion.

• Reduction in air population caused previously by burning of affected crop.

• Glyphosphate tolerant soyabeans cary bacterial gene and relatively insensitive to herbicides.

• Reduction in number of pesticides application.

Food biotechnology and economic benefits

• A study showed that herbicides-tolerant soybeans reduced farm input cost by 3.6% and increased average yield by more than 13-18% in most region of U.S.A.

• 45% of farmers had higher yield of Bt corn in 1988 in the USA.

• 26% of farmers of Bt corn reported a decrease in pesticides use.

Drawbacks of GM foods

• GM food may cause antibiotic resistance.

• Farmers growing genetically modified food, a greater legal ability.

• Gene go into different plant species.

• Some genetically modified foods may present a carinogen exposure risk.

• Genetically modified Foods do not the same as the natural ones.

• Allergic reaction also occurs due to consumption of genetically modified viruses

Application of Food Biotechnology

Application of technologies to make or modify animals, plants and microorganisms, which have desired production, marketing or nutrition related properties to obtain food.

Applications:

✓ Plant agriculture (Increased crop production, Cross breeding, herbicide/pesticide resistant plants, use of soil bacteria as an insecticide)

✓ Animal agriculture (Reproduction, selection and breeding, animal health, feeding and nutrition)

✓Use of bacteria such as Sacchromyces cerevisiae to make bread, Lactobacillus to produce yoghurt etc.

✓ Different strains of genetically engineered yeast through foreign gene encoding glucoamylase are used to make breweries at commercial level has enabled us to make light wine.

✓ Food processing companies are using enzymes that are produced through genetically genetically modified organisms and are used for making cheese, curd and flavoring food items.

Applications of Food Biotechnology in day-to-day life

• Emulsifiers: Acacia gum is predominantly used as emulsifier are now synthesized from covalently coupled carbohydrates like starch, pectins, sugar and protein from wheat, milk and soya bean.

• Metabolic monitoring: Versatile gastrointestinal models for detailed monitoring of digestibility, bioconversion and biodegradability of foods and drugs and contaminants from the point of safety and functionality. Also used for studying digestive effects of nutraceutical foods.

• Calcium intake: Oligo-fructose, a naturally occurring low digestible oligosaccharide increases Ca absorption by as much as 22 percent. These findings can be used to create new products in bakery, confectionery, dairy and beverages.

• Fermented food and enzymes: Now-a-days, genetically pure strains of microbes are used which shows significant improvement in production as well as reduction in overall time required for fermentation process.

Application of Biotechnology in Food Processing

• In Food Fermentation: Fermented foods are consumable products that are generated from thermally treated or untreated food raw materials of plant or animal origin.

They have characteristic sensory and nutritional value as well as properties determining shelf life, hygiene or practical value that are decisively affected by microorganisms and/or enzymes

Advantages of Fermented foods

• They offer a high degree of hygienic safety.

• They have an increased shelf life compared to the raw product.

• Raw materials are refined by improving quality determining properties.

• Toxic or harmful substances derived from the raw material, such as cyanides, hemagglutinins, goitrogens, proteinase inhibitors, phytic acid, oxalic acid, gluco-sinolates and indigestible carbohydrates, are partly degraded.

• Manufacture requires only basic technology and low energy consumption.

• They meet a demand for natural and organic food.

Biotechnology: Improving Food Nutrition

• Proteins and essential amino acids: More than half of worldwide protein production is attained from plants but plant proteins lack some essential amino acids like lysine and sulphur containing amino acids. e.g., Corn is genetically modified and it expresses proteins produced by soil bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis

• Vitamins and minerals: Being deficient in Vitamin A, rice is not a perfect staple food. e.g., The first provitamin rich transgenic rice was produced by incorporating crtl gene and psy gene from bacteria and daffodils.

• Variety of provitamin rich rice can eliminate malnutrition and blindness from developing countries

• Iron: Iron is one the most important minerals required for a healthy body.

• Rice is transformed with a foreign gene encoding iron containing gene named ferritin.

• Transformed rice contains double content of rice as compared to non-transformed rice.

• Carbohydrates and lipids:Carbohydrates, lipids can be modified in transgenic plants.Potatoes have been genetically modified by inserting a gene from bacteria that encode enzyme involved in starch biosynthesis pathway. These GM potatoes contain 30-60% more starch

Biotechnology in Production of Food Ingredients

•Food ingredients are substances used to increase nutritional value, change consistency and enhance flavour.

• These substances are usually of plant or microbial origin the common food and personal care ingredients xanthan gum and guar gum are produced by microbes.

• Many of the amino acid supplements, flavours, flavour enhancers and vitamins added to breakfast cereals are produced by microbial fermentation.

• Specialized high purification systems remove all microbes prior to final food production

• Enzymes are used as processing aids to enhance the efficiency of food manufacture. For example, chymosin, used to make cheese, is an enzyme that occurs naturally in the stomachs of animals.

• Biotechnology had created a way for yeasts, molds and bacteria to produce chymosin, eliminating reliance on livestock for this enzyme.

• Flavouring agents, organic acids, food additives and amino acids are all metabolites of microorganisms during fermentation processes.

• Microbial fermentation processes are therefore commercially exploited for production of these food ingredients.

Biotechnology in diagnostics for Food Testing

• Many of the classical food microbiological methods used in the past were culture-based, with micro or on agar plates and detected through biochemical identification.

• However, these methods are often tedious, labor-intensive and slow.

• Genetic based diagnostic and identification systems can greatly enhance the specificity, sensitivity and speed of microbial testing.

• The use of these technologies and other genetic tests allows the characterization and identification of organisms at the genus, species, sub-species and even strain levels, thereby making it possible to pinpoint sources of food contamination, to trace microorganisms throughout the food chain or to identify the causal agents of foodborne illnesses.

• Molecular typing methodologies are used to characterize and monitor the presence of spoilage flora (microbes causing food to become unfit for eating), normal flora and micro flora in foods, that commonly involves:

• Polymerase chain reaction (PCR): Ribotyping (a method to determine homologies and differences between bacteria at the species or sub-species (strain) level. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE, a method of separating large DNA molecules that can be used for typing microbial strains)

• Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) or amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) molecular marker systems can also be used for the comparison of genetic differences between species, subspecies and strains, depending on the reaction conditions used.

Use of Biotechnology to Improve Yield

• Milk is of the food item used all over the world due to its nutritional value.

• Bovine Somatotropin is a hormone released by pituitary gland. It raises the milk production.

• Previously this hormone was extracted from brain of slaughtered calves. But that results in low quantity. Scientists inserted gene encoding bovine Somatotropin in Escherichia coli. Now this hormone is obtained in higher quantity.

• This hormone results in 10-12% rise in milk production

Biotechnology: Enhancing Taste

• Biotechnology has allowed scientists to produce fruits with better taste.

• GM foods with better taste include seedless watermelon, tomato, eggplant, pepper and cherries. etc.

• Elimination of seed from these food articles resulted in more soluble sugar content enhancing sweetness.

• Fermentation pathways are modified using biotechnology to add aroma in products such as wine.

Advanced Approach: Metabolic Engineering

• Metabolic engineering, a new approach involving the targeted and purposeful manipulation of the metabolic pathways of an organism, is being widely researched to improve the quality and yields of these food ingredients. It typically involves alteration of cellular activities by the manipulation of the enzymatic, transport and regulatory functions of the cell using recombinant DNA and other genetic techniques.

• Understanding the metabolic pathways associated with these fermentation processes, and the ability to redirect metabolic pathways, can increase production of these metabolites and lead to production of novel metabolites and a diversified product base.

Advanced Approaches: GM Foods

Genetically modified (GM) foods are those produced from organisms with modified genetic material (DNA) e.g. through the insertion of a gene from another organism.

Most of the currently available GM foods are derived from plants, with possibility of GM food production from GM animals or microorganisms in the near future.

Advantages include:

• Pest resistance

• Herbicide tolerance

• Resistance towards extreme weather conditions

• Drought tolerance/salinity tolerance

• Nutrition

• Pharmaceuticals

GM enzymes used in food industry

• Catalase used in mayonnaise production and it removes hydrogen peroxide.

• Chymosin useful in cheese production as it coagulates milk.

• Glucose oxidase is used in baking as it stabilizes the dough.

• a-amylase converts starch into maltose and used in baking for sweetness.

• Protease used for meat tenderization process, baking and dairy products

• Juice yields from apples can be improved by adding pectinase enzymes that are produced naturally by strain of mould Aspergillus.

Genetically Modified Foods: Examples

Biotechnology Soybean

• Soybean is the oil crop of greatest economic relevance in the world. Its beans contain proportionally more essential amino acids than meat, thus making it one of the most important food crops today. Processed soybeans are important ingredients in many food products.

• Herbicide-tolerant soybean: Herbicide tolerant soybean varieties contain a gene that provides resistance to one of two broad spectrum herbicides.

• Insect resistant soybean: This biotech soybean exhibits resistance to lepidopteron pests through the production of Cry1Ac protein.

• Oleic acid soybean: This modified soybean contains high levels of oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat.

Biotechnology Maize

• Maize is one of the three most important grains of the world. It is used as livestock feeds, processed as cooking oil and food additives, and currently as feedstock for biofuels.

• Herbicide-tolerant maize: These maize varieties work in a similar manner to herbicide-tolerant soybean. Insect-resistant maize: This modified maize contains a built-in insecticidal protein from a naturally occurring soil microorganism (Bt) that gives maize plants season- long protection from corn borers.

Biotechnology Rice

• Rice is life for more than half of humanity. It is the staple food for over 3 billion people, more than 90% of whom are Asians.

• Herbicide-tolerant rice: They contain a gene that provides resistance to one of two broad spectrums, environmentally benign herbicides.

• Insect-tolerant rice: It reduces yield losses caused by caterpillar pests, the most important of which are the yellow stem borer in tropical Asia and the striped stem borer in temperate areas.

Biotechnology Tomato (Delayed-ripening tomato)

• The delayed-ripening tomato became the first genetically modified food crop to be produced in a developed country.

• These tomatoes spend more days on the vine than other tomatoes, thus resulting in better flavour.

• Furthermore, the longer shelf life has commercial advantages in harvesting and shipping that can reduce the costs of production.

Biotechnology Potato (Virus-resistant potato)

• Several potato varieties have been modified to resist potato leaf roll virus (PLRV) and potato virus Y (PVY). In the same way that people get inoculations to prevent disease, these potato varieties are protected through biotechnology from certain viruses.

• Furthermore, virus resistance often results in reduced insecticide use, which is needed to control insect vectors that transmit viruses

Corn: Resistance to herbicides glyophosate, which is used to kill weeds.

Milk: 

• to increase the quantity of milk produced, cows are

• are often given RBGH(recombinant bovine growth hormone).which is banned in the European union as well as japna, Canada, Newzeland and Australia.

Potential Risks of GM Food

Risks to health: GM food contains foreign genes that can cause hypersensitivity and allergic reactions. One of the foreign protein is Cryg that is encoded by gene present in soil bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis has been proved allergenic for animal feed.

Risks to environment: Another potential risk is horizontal gene transfer. Transgenic organisms when exposed to natural environment may transfer genes to other organisms resulting in spread transgene everywhere. Consequences of this spread can destroy ecosystem and other organisms.

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Genetic engineering in improving plant products

GeneticEngineering: Genetic engineering is a method that, among other things, enables scientists to copy a gene with a desired trait in one organism and put it into another. Genetic engineering has been used since the 1970s and builds on the scientific advances we have made in the study of DNA.

Genetically modified foods

• Commercial sale of genetically modified foods began in 1994, when Calgene first marketed its unsuccessful Flavr Savr delayed-ripening tomato. Most food modifications have primarily focused on cash crops in high demand by farmers such as soybean, corn, canola, and cotton.

• Agrobacterium is a naturally occurring genetic engineering agent and is responsible for the majority of GE plants in commercial production. The FLAVR SAVR™ tomato was developed through

• the use of antisense RNA to regulate the expression of the enzyme polygalacturonase (PG) in ripening tomato fruit. This enzyme is one of the most abundant proteins in ripe tomato fruit and has long been thought to be responsible for softening in ripe tomatoes.

Why genetically engineered plants?

• To improve the agricultural, horticultural (or) ornamental value of a crop plant

• Resistance to certain pests, diseases and environmental conditions

• Reduction of spoilage

• Resistance to chemical treatments (E.g.- Resistance to herbicide)

• Improving the nutrient profile of the crop

Transgenic plants

• Transgenic plants are the ones, whose DNA is modified using genetic engineering techniques.

• A transgenic plant contains a gene or genes that have been artificially inserted.

• The inserted gene sequence is known as the transgene.

• This process provides advantages like improving shelf life, higher yield, improved quality, pest resistance, tolerant to heat, cold and drought resistance, against a variety of biotic and a biotic stresses.

• Transgenic plants can also be produced in such a way that they express foreign proteins with industrial and pharmaceutical value.

• Plants made up of vaccines or antibodies (Plantibodies) are especially stricing as plants are free of human diseases, thus reducing screening costs for viruses and bacterial toxins.

Development of Transgenic plants

The basic requirements of transformation are,

1. A target genome

2. A vector to carry the gene

3. Modification of the foreign DNA to increase the level of gene expression

4. Method to deliver the plasmid DNA into the cell

5. Methodology transformed cell to identify the

6. Tissue culture to recover the viable plants from the transformed cells

BASIC PROCESS OF PLANT GENETIC ENGINEERIING

Step 1: DNA Extraction

Step 2: Gene Cloning

Step 3: Gene Design

Step 4: Transformation

Step 5: Backcross Breeding

Advantage  of transgenic plants

• Improvement in nutritional value of food

• Increase in farmers income

• Increase in food supply

• More convenient and flexible to use

• Safer environment through decreased use of pesticides

• Improved the quality of ground and surface water with less pesticide residues

• Safe to non-target organisms and human beings

Disadvantages

• Secondary pest incidence

• Disruption of pollinators and plant communities would occur if the toxin is expressed in plant nectar and pollen.

• CCD- Is affecting bee hives and it is supposed to be the use of Bt transgenic crops . 

• GM ingredients cause cancer- Histopathologist (Dr. Stanley Ewan) "food and water contaminated with GE material could increase the growth of Malignant tumor 

• GM food could raise new allergy outbreak in humans 

• GM soybean containing "Brazilian protein" was allergic to humans and was withdrawn from production

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Genetic engineering in improving animal  products

Definition

The term transgenic animal refers to an animal in which there has been a deliberate modification of the genome, the material responsible for inherited characteristics, in contrast to spontaneous mutation (FELASA September 1992, revised February 1995).

General strategy

• Isolation and cloning of the gene of interest

• Generation of a (expression-competent) DNA-construct or genetically modified ES cells

• Isolation of oocytes or blastocysts

• Injection of DNA or genetically modified ES cells and transfer of the injected embryos into a foster mouse

• Analysis of the off-spring Analysis of the expression and biological effects of the gene of interest in the transgenic animals.

Methods of creation of transgenic animals

• Transfer of 'naked DNA'

• Calcium phosphate method

• DEAE-dextran

• Encapsulation of DNA in liposome vesicles

• Electroporation

• Micro-injection

Why are animals being genetically engineered?

• Genetic engineering is a useful technology because it enables animals to produce useful novel proteins

• Genetically-engineered animals are being produced for two distinct applications: human medicine and agriculture

• Many therapeutic proteins for the treatment of human disease require animal-cell specific modifications to be effective, and at the present time they are almost all produced in mammalian cell-based bioreactors

• Genetically engineered animals, such as cattle carrying human antibody genes which are able to produce human polyclonal antibodies17, have the potential to provide a steady supply of polyclonal antibodies for the treatment of a variety of infectious and other diseases.

• Genetically engineered cows producing human immunoglobulin (Hematech, Sioux Falls, S.D.) may provide an important source of polyclonal antibodies for the treatment of a variety of medical conditions including organ transplant rejection, cancer, and autoimmune diseases

• Transgenic mice have also become increasingly important for biological and biomedical research and have generated a vast amount of vital information about human diseases

• to manipulate gene sequences in plants, animals and other organisms to express specific traits.

• To increase efficiency in utilizng feed

• Ability to give leaner meat

• Ressistant to certain disease/insects

• Secretion of pharmaceuticals in to milk, blood and urine which can be used for manufacturing drugs.

Example of GM Animals

GM PIGS

■The ability to genetically modify pigs has enabled scientists to create pigs that are beneficial to humans in ways that were previously unimaginable.

■The benefits to medicine include the production of pharmaceuticals, the provision of organs for xenotransplantation into humans, and the development of models of human diseases.

■ The benefits to agriculture include resistance to disease, altering the carcass composition such that it is healthier to consume, improving the pig's resistance to heat stress, and protecting the environment.

■Additional types of genetic modifications will likely provide animals with characteristics that will benefit humans in currently unimagined ways.

GM COWS

■ Scientists in both China and Argentina have genetically engineered cows to produce milk similar in composition to that made by humans.

■After modifying embryos, an Argentinian cow - Rosita Isa-was born that expressed milk containing proteins present in human milk but lacking in cow milk.

■However, there are a number of scientific, safety and taste issues that would have to be overcome before this replaces "mother's milk" for infants.

GM GOATS

■BioSteel is a trademark name for a high-strength based fiber material made of the recombinant spider silk-like protein extracted from the milk of transgenic goats, made by Nexia Biotechnologies.

■The company has successfully generated distinct lines of goats that produce in their milk recombinant versions of either the MaSpl or MaSpll dragline silk proteins, respectively.

■Nexia Biotechnologies, however, went bankrupt and is no longer company.

ADVANTAGES

Higher growth rate in animals

GM Salmon: Grows faster than regular salmon. Same age, but longer and heavier.

Improved disease resistance

GM Chicken: Featherless and bird-flu resistant. Protected better against diseases.

Increased muscle mass

GM Super Cow: Larger than normal cow, there's more meat, greater product yield.

Improved nutritional quality

GM Enviro Pig: There are added nutrients and proteins which makes them healthier to eat.

Tailor-made animals for desired traits

GM Glow-in-the-Dark Cats: Jellyfish protein infused with GFP (Green fluorescent protein) and added to cats, fish, dogs, monkeys, etc.

You can choose the traits for the specific animal. Increased genetic diversity By adding or changing traits, new genes are created. Results in a greater gene pool. More variety means more possible combinations

DISADVANTAGES

• Unintended harm or breeding problems

• Animals may be too big for their legs, have shorter life spans, and there are low survival rates for transgenic aimals.

• Mutagenesis and function disorders

• Genetic mutations can occur which may resit in diseases and disorders.

• Expensive and extensive: The cost of equipment and animals is high. Also, it takes a while to find the right way to genetically modify the animal for whatever purpose. It doesnt happen over night.

• Unintended adverse effects

• Genes have more than one function. A gene in one animal may do certain jobs or not that the other one doesn't. This may cause problems sin the genes that cannot fully carry out their function.

• Nature is complex: Nature is an extremely complex inter-related chain consisting of many species linked in a food chain. Genetically modifying anmals may have irreversible effects with unknown consequences.

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Genetic engineering in improving food processing 

Genetic engineering has shown promise in improving food processing by enhancing the quality, productivity, and characteristics of crops. Here are some key points based on the search results:

Benefits of Genetic Engineering in Food Processing:

• Genetic engineering allows scientists to select specific genes to implant, avoiding the introduction of undesirable traits .

• It can lead to the production of more nutritious and tastier food .

• Genetically engineered crops can be made disease- and drought-resistant, requiring fewer environmental resources like water and fertilizer .

• It can reduce the use of pesticides and increase the supply of food with reduced cost and longer shelf life .

• Genetic engineering enables the development of faster-growing plants and animals .

• It can create food with more desirable traits, such as potatoes that produce less of a cancer-causing substance when fried .

• Medicinal foods that could be used as vaccines or other medicines can also be developed .

• Responsibility and Challenges:

• Genetic engineering in food processing needs to be handled responsibly to address potential challenges.

• The use of herbicides and gene contamination in crops are concerns associated with genetic engineering .

• Horizontal gene transfer and recombination can give rise to new pathogens and introduce virulence among pathogens.

• Careful consideration and regulation are necessary to ensure the safety and ethical implications of genetic engineering in food processing.

• Role of Genetic Engineering in Food Production:

• Genetic engineering has the potential to be used as an effective tool to address various problems in food production and society .

• It can affect all steps of the production chain, from farm to final food processing .

• Molecular techniques, such as recombinant enzymes, can be used in food processing to improve safety, biotechnology, authenticity, and traceability.

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs): Genetically modified foods, also known as genetically engineered foods, are produced from organisms that have had changes introduced into their DNA using genetic engineering techniques . GM crops have already provided significant improvements in the quantity and quality of the food supply, reducing economic cost, energy usage, pesticide usage, and soil erosion . There is no scientifically-documented evidence of harm to human health from genetically modified crops . It's important to note that genetic engineering in food processing is a complex and evolving field. Ongoing research and responsible practices are crucial to ensure the safety, ethical considerations, and long-term benefits of genetic engineering in improving food processing.

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References

1. Fundamentals of Food Biotechnology, Wiley Blackwell, Byong H Lee

2. Role of Biotechnology in Food Processing, ACTA SCIENTIFIC AGRICULTURE (ISSN: 2581-365X), Sikha Snehal and Abhinav Dubey

3. Current status and options for biotechnologies in food processing and in food safety in developing countries, FAO International Technical Conference, January 2010

4. The Role of Biotechnology in Food Production and Processing, Industrial Engineering, Balarabe Musa Maryam, Mohammed Sani Sambo Datsugwai, Idris Shehu

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