Abstract: The present invention is in the area of enzymes for (hemi-)cellulose degradation and/or modification, more in particular the degradation and/or modification of xylan. The invention is based on a newly discovered enzymatic activity of a class of lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs), i.e. oxidative cleavage of xylan in addition to oxidative cleavage of cellulose. The present invention therefore relates to a method for degrading and/or modifying xylan in a xylan-comprising substrate, a method for preparing a product from a xylan-comprising substrate, a kit of parts, a liquid, paste or solid formulation, and a xylan-comprising composition, comprising said LPMO. The invention further relates to a use of said LPMO, said kit of parts, said formulation and/or said composition, in a method of the invention.

Abstract: The present invention relates to fungal enzymes, more in particular of polyphenoloxidases (PPOs), and is based on a newly discovered enzymatic activity of a class of PPOs, i.e. de-methylation of R-substituted mono- or di-methoxyphenolsuch as present in lignin, lignin derived compounds and/or in lignocellulosic biomass. This newly discovered enzymatic activity renders these enzymes highly suitable for a plethora of applications in industry. Provided herein are methods of demethylation, processes to increase the reactivity of lignin or lignin-comprising biomass, processes of conversion lignin or lignin comprising biomass to value added products, processes for degrading and/or modifying (hemi-)cellulose in a hemicellulose-comprising substrate, and expression vectors, host cells and liquids, pastes or solid formulations and compositions for use in the demethylation method of the invention.

Abstract: The present invention is in the area of enzymes for (hemi-)cellulose degradation and/or modification, more in particular the degradation and/or modification of xylan. The invention is based on a newly discovered enzymatic activity of a class of lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs), i.e. oxidative cleavage of xylan in addition to oxidative cleavage of cellulose. The present invention therefore relates to a method for degrading and/or modifying xylan in a xylan-comprising substrate, a method for preparing a product from a xylan-comprising substrate, a kit of parts, a liquid, paste or solid formulation, and a xylan-comprising composition, comprising said LPMO. The invention further relates to a use of said LPMO, said kit of parts, said formulation and/or said composition, in a method of the invention.

Abstract: Soybean seedlings and therefrom extractable compositions are described. Such compositions comprise prenylated isoflavones and at least one isoflavonoid, said isoflavonoid being selected from one of the chemical classes of isoflavones, coumestans and pterocarpans. Such compositions usually comprise at least 5% prenylated isoflavones, in particular prenylated isoflavones selected from prenylated daidzein, prenylated hydroxydaidzein, prenylated glycitein, prenylated hydroxygenistein, and prenylated genistein. Such compositions also comprise pterocarpans, preferably in amounts of at least 20%, and with a novel ratio of glyceollin I to glyceollin II to glyceollin III to glyceollin IV. Also described is a production method comprising the step of fermenting the soybeans under stress, in particular in the presence of cultures of fungi, preferably in the presence of Rhizopus microsporus Var. oryzae.