"Hausmann researches the obtention of vanillin through enzymatic method

Vanilla is a highly demanded product in the food sector, but its price is high and its commercialization and transportation have environmental impact. Hausmann and researchers from the ENG4BIO group at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) have developed a biotechnological process for the synthesis of vanillin from rice husks.

The use of vanillin is of paramount importance in the flavor industry due to its wide versatility in flavoring different foods, as well as the increasing demand, preferably in its natural form. The price of natural vanillin is high due to production costs, scarcity, and transportation. Additionally, since it is imported, packaging and transportation waste are generated, which are avoidable. One of the cutting-edge trends in the food industry market is the availability of ingredients and flavors obtained naturally, with the aim of indicating it in the final product.

Vanilla is a highly demanded product in the food sector, but its price is high and its commercialization and transportation have environmental impact. Hausmann and researchers from the ENG4BIO group at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) have developed a biotechnological process for the synthesis of vanillin from rice husks. Hausmann and researchers from the ENG4BIO group of the Department of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering at the UAB have developed a biotechnological process for the synthesis of vanillin from reused carbon sources, specifically rice husks, within the framework of a collaborative project. ENZIVANIL. El objetivo principal es desarrollar vainillina natural que sea clasificada como tal, según las normativas de la Unión Europea y los Estados Unidos. Los investigadores de la UAB han llevado a cabo tanto la producción de las enzimas requeridas como el desarrollo y optimización del sistema multienzimático.

The transformation process of ferulic acid to vanillin developed is based on a biotechnological process, an alternative to the chemical one, more environmentally friendly. It relies on a multi-enzymatic system that proposes two stages to bypass the need for cofactors, molecules with high economic cost. Thanks to the new enzymatic approach, an optimized route is obtained compared to the use of microorganisms, which are the most studied systems today for obtaining natural vanillin through biotechnological processes. The enzymatic pathway proposed represents a more economical route compared to cofactor-dependent enzymatic pathways, as these have a high cost. It also represents a more economical system compared to microbial processes due to a reduction in the complexity of purification processes. Furthermore, the fact that vanillin is obtained in enzymatic form allows it to be considered natural.