| Alkaline phosphatase: | An enzyme that degrades ester bonds in alkaline conditions. |
| Amino acid amidase: | An enzyme that is used in manufacturing optically pure amino acids. It hydrolyses an amide bond in natural amino acid amides. |
| Amylase: | A group of enzymes that hydrolyse chemical bonds between glucose molecules present in starch. This group includes alpha-, beta- and glucoamylase. |
| Aspartame: | A low calorie high intensive sweetener. |
| Beta-glucanase: | An enzyme that degrades beta-glucan commonly found e.g. in barley. |
| Biocatalyst: | Isolated enzyme or a whole cell (living or dead) |
| Bromelain: | A protein-degrading enzyme from plants. |
| Catalase: | An enzyme that degrades hydrogen peroxide to oxygen and water. |
| Cellulases: | A group of enzymes that synergistically degrade cellulose fibers to glucose. |
| CLEC: | Enzyme crystal that has been made insoluble by chemical cross-linking; a method to immobilise and stabilise enzymes. |
| Chirally pure: | Many organic molecules can have two chemically identical but structurally mirror image forms. Chirally pure means that only one of the forms is present. |
| Dextran sucrase: | An enzyme, present in some lactic acid bacteria, that forms a glucose. polymer and fructose from the disaccharide sucrose. |
| Dextran: | Glucose containing branched polymer used e.g. in blood replacements. |
| DNA-polymerases: | An enzyme that synthesizes DNA polymers. |
| Fermentor: | A biological reactor for cultivation of microorganisms. |
| Ficin: | A protein-degrading enzyme from plants. |
| Formate dehydrogenase: | An enzyme that oxidises formate to carbon dioxide and NAD. |
| Glucoamylase: | An enzyme that splits glucose molecules from starch. |
| Glucose oxidase: | An enzyme that uses oxygen to oxidise glucose to gluconic acid and hydrogen peroxide. |
| Glycosyltransferases: | Catalyse the transfer of monosaccharides from a donor to saccharide acceptors. |
| GRAS-status: | is given to an organism that is Generally Regarded as Safe. |
| Hydrolases: | Enzymes that break chemical bonds by adding water. They can be used to form chemical bonds in the absence of water. |
| Hydroxynitrile lyase: | An enzyme that catalyses the addition of HCN to aldehydes and ketones. |
| Immunoassay: | This is an analytical method in which antibodies are used to detect specific molecules. |
| Isomerases: | Enzymes that catalyse intramolecular reactions. |
| Laccase: | A polyphenol oxidase from fungi. This enzyme can use oxygen to oxidise different types of aromatic molecules and to form lignin type of aromatic polymers from phenolic compounds. |
| Lactase: | his enzymes degrade milk-sugar lactose to glucose and galactose. Lactose intolerant people can consume such milk. |
| Ligases: | Enzymes that synthesize chemical bonds. |
| Lipoxygenase: | A lipid oxidising enzyme extracted usually from soybeans. |
| Lyases: | Enzymes that remove chemical groups from their substrates without addition of water |
| Nitrile hydratases: | Enzymes that catalyse addition of water to nitrales resulting in amide formation |
| Oxidoreductases: | Enzymes that oxidise or reduce chemical compounds. |
| Papain: | A protein degrading enzyme from animal gut. |
| Penicillin: | An antibiotic substance extracted from molds. |
| Pepsin: | An enzyme that degrades proteins and is isolated from animals. |
| Peroxidase: | An oxidative heme-containing enzyme that uses hydrogen peroxide to oxidise aromatic compounds. It is responsible for lignin biosynthesis in plants and initiates lignin biodegradation by certain rot-fungi. |
| Phytase: | A phosphatase enzyme that hydrolyses phosphoester bonds in phytic acid. Is widely used in animal feeds. |
| Protein engineering: | Improvement of enzyme protein by genetic methods. |
| Rare sugar: | A sugar that is rare in nature. |
| Rennin: | An aspartic protease which coagulates milk protein. It is used in cheese manufacturing and isolated from calf stomach or produced by recombinant fungi. |
| Restriction enzymes: | Enzymes that recognise specific 4-8 nucleotides long sequencies from DNA. They are important tools in gene technology. |
| Transferases: | |
| Trypsin: | An enzyme that degrades proteins and is isolated from animals. |
| Xylanase: | A group of enzymes that degrade plant fibers made of xylose-sugars to xylose monomers. |
| Xylitol: | A tooth-friendly sugar alcohol used in chewing gums. |