Journal of Experimental and Molecular Biology

PRODUCTION OF EXTRACELLULAR RECOMBINANT PHYTASE IN YEAST AND ITS APPLICATION IN ANIMAL FEED AS ENZYME SUPPLEMENT

Sk Amir Hossain, Sheikh Julfikar Hossain, Tonima Rahman Tuli, Rima Akter — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Phytase is a crucial enzyme widely employed in animal nutrition and agriculture for hydrolyzing phytic acid (phytate), the primary storage form of phosphorus in plant tissues, thereby releasing digestible inorganic phosphate. However, its commercial application is often constrained by the thermal instability of enzyme, particularly under the elevated temperatures used in industrial feed processing. To address this limitation, the present study aimed to develop a robust and scalable yeast-based expression system capable of producing a thermostable form of phytase. A novel expression plasmid, pESC-TRP6HisHA, was constructed, featuring galactose-inducible bidirectional promoters, a 6×His-HA epitope tag for easy detection, and a secretion signal to facilitate extracellular expression. The PhyA gene from Aspergillus niger, encoding phytase, was cloned into this vector, resulting in the construct pESC-TRPHSignalSeqPhyA, which was subsequently transformed into Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Under galactose induction and phytin-supplemented media, the recombinant yeast successfully expressed and secreted active phytase, as evidenced by clear halo zones on phytin-containing agar plates. Biochemical assays demonstrated that the recombinant phytase exhibited significantly enhanced thermostability compared to the wild-type enzyme, retaining greater enzymatic activity after incubation at 30°C, 40°C, and 50°C for three hours. This improvement was supported by an aliphatic index of 83.2, suggesting moderate thermal resilience. The expression system offers a dual benefit of both secretion and potential surface display, enhancing flexibility for downstream applications. This study establishes a simple, efficient, and scalable platform for the production of thermostable phytase using genetically engineered S. cerevisiae. The system holds substantial promise for industrial applications, especially in animal feed manufacturing, where enzyme stability at high temperatures is critical. Future work will focus on optimizing yield, evaluating long-term stability, and conducting feed trials to validate its performance under commercial conditions.

CHEMICAL ANALYSIS AND ANTINUTRITIONAL VALUE OF SELECTED INBRED LINES OF GROUNDNUT (ARACHIS HYPOGAEA L.)

Wed, 15 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This study assesses the proximate composition and anti-nutritional profiles of three groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) breeding lines: (SAMNUT-26×ICGV-91328, SAMNUT-23×ICGV- 91324, and SAMNUT-24×ICGV-91328). Seed samples of these hybrid lines were obtained from the Seed Centre at the College of Agronomy, Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi, Nigeria. Standard analytical methods were employed to determine moisture, ash, crude fibre, lipid, protein, carbohydrate contents, and selected anti-nutritional parameters, including phytic acid, oxalate, and cyanide levels. Moisture content varied from 6.29% in SAMNUT-23×ICGV- 91324 to 7.05% in SAMNUT-26×ICGV-91328. Ash content ranged between 3.26% and 4.50%, with SAMNUT-23×ICGV-91324 exhibiting the highest value. Fibre content was relatively stable, with a narrow range of 2.91%–3.14%. Lipid concentration was highest in SAMNUT-26×ICGV-91328 (47.00%) and lowest in SAMNUT-23×ICGV-91324 (46.12%). The highest protein content (22.85%) was recorded in SAMNUT-24×ICGV-91328, while carbohydrate content peaked at 18.37% in SAMNUT-23×ICGV-91324. Regarding anti- nutritional factors, SAMNUT-23×ICGV-91324 had significantly higher cyanide levels (5.10 mg/100g) compared to the other two lines (P < 0.05), followed by SAMNUT-24×ICGV-91328 (4.63 mg/100g) and SAMNUT-26×ICGV-91328 (2.56 mg/100g). Similarly, the highest oxalate concentration was observed in SAMNUT-23×ICGV-91324. Overall, the results reveal notable compositional differences among the groundnut hybrid lines, with SAMNUT-24×ICGV-91328 emerging as the most nutritionally advantageous candidate based on its superior protein and balanced nutrient profile.

SUMMER SNOWFLAKE (LEUCOJUM AESTIVUM L.) – A RARE ADDITION TO THE FLORA OF “PRUTUL DE JOS” SCIENTIFIC RESERVE, REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA

Mihail Ghilan, Antonio Marian Doncea — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Currently, the summer snowflake is suffering distributional and populational declines across its range, and due to this local scarcity, it is protected by law in several countries within its distribution range. The distribution of this species in the Republic of Moldova is very little studied, and currently this species is classified as critically endangered in the 3rd edition of the national Red Data Book, with only seven known locations. This short communication aims to reveal a new location of the summer snowflake – „Prutul de Jos” Scientific Reserve, increasing the conservation importance of the reserve even more.