Tannase from Aspergillus melleus improves the antioxidant activity of green tea: purification and biochemical characterisation

Summary Tannase is an inducible enzyme used extensively in food, feed, pharmaceutical and chemical industries. In this study, tannase production and its biochemical properties were evaluated. From 42 Aspergillus strains analysed for potential tannase selection, Aspergillus melleus yielded the best results. Production was analysed using a complete factorial planning of 2³. Maximum activity (452.55 U mL−1) was obtained in the optimal conditions of substrate (5.0 g), initial moisture (60%), tannic acid (2%) and 48 h of fermentation. The molecular weight of the purified enzyme was estimated as 69.52 kDa; its optimum temperature and pH were 40 °C and 5.5, respectively. Regarding the chemical effectors used, tannase was inhibited by ZnCl2, ZnSO4, Triton X‐100 and SDS. The addition of tannase to green tea improved its antioxidant potential by approximately 85% when compared to the control. The present results suggest that tannase may be used as an adjuvant to increase the antioxidant potential of green tea. Scheme of tannase production by Aspergillus melleus using solid state fermentation. Garcinia humilis fruits (a) and (b); seeds (c); fruit pulp (d). Culture conditions were achieved in erlenmeyer flasks (250 mL) using 5 g of seeds, 60% of umidity, 30 °C and 96 h of fermentation.