Lemon + Rock Sugar = ???

So, what will be given by the mysterious reaction above? The answer is enzyme produced from the fermentation. Enzyme is made up of protein molecule that has unique spatial arrangement, called active site. The main function of enzyme is to catalyst biological activities like utilize nutrients and aid digestion.

Generally, enzyme can be divided into internal and external enzyme. Internal enzyme can found in body while external enzyme can be found in food. One question might arise here, why do we still need take in external enzyme from food when our body themselves can produce it? The answer is enzyme-deficient food intake would overburden our body by synthesizing internal enzyme to digest the food.

The main source of external enzyme comes from fruits, vegetables, meat and grain. Sadly to say, most enzymes contained in them have been destroyed when cooking under high temperature. For instance, protease in cooked meat is denatured and cannot be absorbed by body.

The best way of obtaining external enzyme other than eating a variety of foods and vegetable is drinking DIY enzyme, fruit enzyme. During the fermentation process, bacteria “per-digest” nutrients in fruits that ease the later absorption by body and enhance the enzyme level in fruit. The listed are the benefits of consuming fruit enzyme:

- Lower cholesterol level

- Maintain high alkali pH

- Strengthen the immune system

- Relieve constipation by promoting the proper digesting and elimination process.

- An antioxidant that protect body cells from neutralizing radical.

To explore its medication, effect and fragrant taste, let's look at the recipe. The ingredients needed are lemon, pineapple and brown rock sugar.

Firstly, clean and dry all the fruits, utensils and container. Make sure they are dried throughly and free from any water and oil stain. Next, slice fruit in 3-5 mm thick. Later, place fruit in the first layer, lemon at the second layer and following by brown rock sugar. Then, repeat the same process until it full and cover with the lid tightly.


Friday, 22 March 2013

Sucrose


Sucrose is one kind of organic compound which can be found naturally in sugarcane, sugar beets, sugar-maple sap, dates, and honey. It contains carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atom with the general formula of C12H22O11. Actually, it is the product 50:50 of combination of two monosaccharide molecules, glucose and fructose joined by the glycosidic linkage.


Both of the glucose (aldehyde) and fructose (ketone) taste sweet. Sucrose (disaccharides), the combination of glucose and fructose takes on the properties of non-reducing sugar, water soluble, colourless and sweet-tasting crystal. During the process of fermentation, chemical anaerobic process takes place. Microorganisms including bacteria, yeast and mould degrade carbohydrates like sucrose into acid or alcohol with the absence of oxygen and the exclusion of a water molecule.

Lactobacillaceae, one kind of acetobacter species has the ability to utilize sucrose and produce alcohol as the product and it is usually coupled with adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production. However, sucrose is not fermentable by lactobacillaceae directly. Sucrose fermentation must be initiated by the cleavage of sucrose hydrolase to glucose (major source of energy) and fructose through a process of hydrolysis. Once the glycosidic linkage is broken down, the glucose and fructose can be consumed directly and fermented multiply by these bacteria as a source of energy. When these microorganisms metabolize and grow, they eventually release by-products such as ethanol and carbon dioxide whereby these by-products play an important role in preserving and changing the texture and flavor of the food substrate. 
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