Bacteria and fungi are living organisms that produce specific enzymes to break down compounds so that they can be ingested through the bacterial cell wall. Each type of enzyme is highly specific, targeting only one type of molecule. To completely degrade a mixed waste, selected groups of complementary enzymes must be produced. Most strains of bacteria are capable of producing 2 or more enzyme types. A selection process determines which enzymes are produced and in what strength. Although all enzymes are proteins, not all proteins are enzymes.

BASIC CLASSES OF ENZYMES:

• Oxidoreductases - catalyze oxidations or reductions. Examples: dehyrogenases, oxidases, and peroxidases.
• Transferases - catalyze the transfer of a group from one molecule to another. Examples: Phosphatases, transaminases, and transmethylases.
• Hydrolases - catalyze hydrolysis reactions. Examples: digestive enzymes such as sucrase, amylase, maltase, and lactase.
• Lyases - catalyze the removal of groups in non-aqueous media. An example would be the decarboxylases.
• Isomerases - catalyze the isomerization of molecules. Examples: racemases, and cis-trans isomerases.
• Ligases (aka synthetases) - catalyze condensation reactions where smaller molecules are connected with the resulting removal of a water molecule. This is accompanied by the formation of a high energy Phosphate link that stores energy. An example would be the amino acid RNA ligases.
  

SOME INDIVIDUAL ENZYMES PRODUCED BY BACTERIA IN OUR FORMULAS:

• Amylase - digests starch from potatoes and grains
• Alcalase - a proteolytic enzyme (one subset of protease) designed to hydrolyze all kinds of proteins including hemoglobin. Alcalase is readily soluble in water at all reasonable use concentrations. Alcalase is active in the hydrolysis of a wide variety of proteins. As a dry enzyme, Alcalase will lose only 1 to 2% activity per month at room temperature. (also referrred to as subtilisin)
• Protease - digests proteins from gelatin, meat, grains & vegetable extracts, releasing amino acids and small peptides.
• Lipase - digests animal and vegetable fats and oils. The first stage of glycerol digestion is accomplished with this enzyme. This enzyme does not degrade petrochemical oils.
• Lipolase - lipolytic enzyme (a particular lipase) produced for incorporation into automatic laundry detergents. Lipolase catalyses the hydrolysis of triglycerides into more soluble materials, usually a mixture of mono- and di- glycerides, glycerol and free fatty acids. Lipolase has broad activity and promotes the hydrolysis of a wide variety of fatty substances. A dry enzyme, stable for a least one year refrigerated.
• Cellulase - Degrades the main structural components of cell wall material. Degrades cellulose and hemicellulose, thus initiating the digestion of sawdust, grass clippings, paper, toilet paper, tissue
• Pectinase - digests pectin in fruit
• Peptidase - assists protease in the digestion of proteins.
• Beta-glucanese - digests vegetable gums
• Lactase - digests lactic acid in milk products.
• Invertase (aka Beta-fructofuranosidase) - hydrolyzes sucrose into glucose + fructose.
• Ammonia monoogygenase - used by Nitrosomonas europaea to convert ammonia to nitrite.
• Hydroxylamine oxidoreductase - another enzyme used by Nitrosomonas europaea
• Nitrite oxidoreductase - an enzyme of Nitrobacter winogradskyl used to convert nitrite to nitrate
• Cytochrome C. oxidase - used by Nitrobacter winogradskyl to recover energy when converting nitrite to nitrate.
• Nitrate reductase - used by Nitrosomonas europaea and Bacillus licheniformis, among other strains, under anaerobic conditions to convert nitrate to nitrite.
• Nitrite reductase - used by a number of denitrifying bacterial strains to convert nitrite to nitrogen gas, finishing off denitrification.
• Alcohol dehydrogenase (S & R) - reduce ketones.
• Carbonyl reductase - reduces carbonyl to alcohols
• Alcohol oxidase - uses primary alcohol and molecular oxygen as an electron acceptor
• Tannase - hydrolyses polymeric gallate into gallate and alcohol or glucose; also hydrolyses ester links in other tannins (useful for waste handling for leather manufacturing industry)
• Beta-1,4-Galactosyltransferase - synthesis of disaccharides.
• Pyruvate Decarboxylase - breaks down pyruvate.
• Alkyl sulfatase - a detergent splitting enzyme
• Nitrate reductase - performs first part of denitrification
• Hyponitrate reductase - catalyst to turn hyponitrate to nitrogen gas, part of denitrification.
• Nitrogenase - reduces acetylene to ethylene
• Mono-methanoxigenase - together with others, breaks aliphatic hydrocarbons into fatty acids
• Aldehyde hydrogenase - see above
• Phenanthrene dioxygenase - breaks phenanthrene into cis-3,4-Dihyroxy-3,4-dihydrophenanthrene
• 3,4-Dihyroxy-3,4-dihydrophenanthrene dehydrogenase - breaks the above result chemical above into 3,4-Dihydroxyphenanthrene