Cold-active enzymes from deep marine psychrophiles: harnessing their potential in enhanced food production and sustainability

Exploring the untapped potential of deep-sea microorganisms, particularly their cold-active enzymes, or psychrozymes, offers exciting possibilities for revolutionizing various aspects of the food processing industry. This review focuses on these enzymes, derived from the largely unexplored depths of the deep ocean, where microorganisms have developed unique adaptations to extreme conditions. Psychrozymes, as bioactive molecules, hold significant promise for food industry applications. However, despite their potential, the understanding and industrial utilization of psychrozymes remains limited. This review provides an in-depth analysis of how psychrozymes can: improve processing efficiency, enhance sensory qualities, extend product shelf life, and reduce energy consumption across the food production chain. We explore the cryodefense strategies and cold-adaptation mechanisms that support these enzymes, shedding light on the most extensively studied psychrozymes and assessing their journey from theoretical applications to practical use in food production. The key properties, such as stability, substrate specificity, and catalytic efficiency in cold environments, are also discussed. Although psychrozymes show considerable promise, their large-scale application in the food industry remains largely unexplored. This review emphasizes the need for further research to unlock the full potential of psychrozymes, encouraging their broader integration into the food sector to contribute to more sustainable food production processes.