Safety evaluation of a β-mannanase enzyme preparation produced with Thermothelomyces thermophilus expressing a protein-engineered β-mannanase gene

PLoS One. 2020 Dec 10;15(12):e0243647. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0243647. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

Mannanase 19287 enzyme is an engineered β-mannanase that can be added to diets for animals raised for human consumption to hydrolyze β-mannans. Established toxicological analyses were conducted with the enzyme preparation to ensure the safety of this product for the intended use. The mannanase 19287 preparation was produced with Thermothelomyces thermophilus strain DSM 33149. In vitro toxicity studies presented here used dosages of the mannanase 19287 test articles up to 5000 μg/plate. For in vivo toxicity studies in Wistar rats, test articles were administered at 5.1 mg/L for inhalation toxicity and up to 15,000 mg/kg rat feed for oral toxicity, based on the Total Organic Solids (TOS) content in each test article. No treatment related adverse effects were reported in any study. The No Observed Adverse Effect Levels in the high dose group of the subchronic oral toxicity study were calculated as 1117-1298 mg TOS/kg bw/day in rats. Comparing these values to an Estimated Daily Intake for poultry demonstrated safety factors larger than 5000. Our results confirm that T. thermophilus fulfills the recognized safety criteria for the manufacture of food enzyme preparations and represent the first peer-reviewed safety evaluation of an enzyme preparation by T. thermophilus. The results of the toxicity studies presented herein attest to the safety of the mannanase 19287 enzyme for its intended use.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animal Feed / adverse effects*
  • Animal Feed / analysis
  • Animals
  • Bacterial Proteins / adverse effects*
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Industrial Microbiology
  • Male
  • No-Observed-Adverse-Effect Level
  • Protein Engineering
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Sordariales / genetics*
  • beta-Mannosidase / adverse effects*
  • beta-Mannosidase / genetics

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • beta-Mannosidase

Supplementary concepts

  • Thermothelomyces thermophilus

Grants and funding

BASF Corp., San Diego, CA, and BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany, the study sponsor, financially supported this project including the writing of this manuscript and paying third party costs. BASF SE, Experimental Toxicology and Ecology, an inspection body accredited by the national accreditation body of Germany, was paid to execute the toxicology studies, collect, analyze, and interpret data. The funders provided support in the form of salaries for authors [AK, DS, RB, DG], but did not have any additional role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The specific roles of these authors are articulated in the ‘author contributions’ section.