Muramidases

Muramidases are enzymes that hydrolyse the glycosidic bonds involving muramic acid in bacterial peptidoglycan, effectively the lysozyme class of enzymes. By cleaving the linkages between N-acetylmuramic acid and N-acetylglucosamine in bacterial cell walls, they lyse susceptible bacteria, particularly Gram-positive organisms. In food technology the best-known muramidase is hen egg-white lysozyme, used as preservative E1105 to prevent late blowing in hard cheeses by killing Clostridium tyrobutyricum spores’ vegetative cells and to stabilize wines against lactic acid bacteria. Because it comes from egg, products containing it must declare egg allergen on the label.