β-Glucosidase from almonds

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β-Glucosidase from almonds belongs to the family 1 of the glycoside hydrolases. Almonds contain prunasin hydrolases (PH) and amygdalin hydrolase. Nine types of PHs are associated with almonds. PHs have signal peptide sequence and correspond to molecular weight in the range 50 to 75 kDa. PHs also have ITENG, NEP and INKKGIEYY motifs conserved and have N-glycosylation sites.

β-Glucosidase from almonds has been used:

• in enzyme inhibition studies by 1,5-dideoxy-1,5-imino-d-xylitol(DIX) derivates
• as a control in for comparison of soybean isofavone glycosides degradation by β-Glucosidase from Talaromyce leycettanus
• as a medium component during saccharification and fermentation of yeast

β-glucosidase is also used in the synthesis of glucosides and fucosides with various potential applications in pharmaceutical, cosmetic and detergent industries, hydrolytic removal of aglycone moiety from flavonoid and isoflavonoid glycosides, flavor enhancement of fruit juices and wine, and biosynthesis of oligosaccharides.

βglucosidase is involved in the hydrolysis of β-glycosidic bonds connecting carbohydrate residues in β-D-glycosides. They convert cellobiose and cellooligosaccharides produced by the endo and exoglucanases to glucose.

Prunasin hydrolase (PH) is a β-glucosidase that degrades prunasin to mandelonitrile and glucose. Amygdalin hydrolase hydrolyzes amygdalin to prunasin and glucose. β-Glucosidase is mesostable and is sensitive to temperature at 60 °C and above. It is highly sensitive to high pressure.

Chromatographically purified

One unit will liberate 1.0 μmole of glucose from salicin per min at pH 5.0 at 37 °C.