Assessment of Microbiological and Chemical Quality of Bubble Tea Beverages Vended in Taiwan.

Bubble tea beverages ( = 105) purchased from vendors in Taiwan were tested to determine their microbiological and chemical quality. Nearly half of the tested samples (48.6%, 51 of 105) had aerobic plate counts (APCs) higher than the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration guideline of 4.

Purification and characterization of paralytic shellfish toxin-transforming enzyme, sulfocarbamoylase I, from the Japanese bivalve Peronidia venulosa.

The Japanese bivalve Peronidia venulosa contains paralytic shellfish toxin (PST)-transforming enzymes that convert the weakly toxic C-toxins to the more potent decarbamoyl toxins. The enzyme was purified 154-fold with a yield of 0.26% and was named sulfocarbamoylase I.

Purification and characterization of paralytic shellfish toxin transforming enzyme from Mactra chinensis.

A carbamoylase, which catalyzes hydrolysis of the carbamoyl (or N-sulfocarbamoyl) moiety of paralytic shellfish toxins, was purified from the digestive glands of the Japanese clam Mactra chinensis. Using five steps of column chromatography, 290 microg of Carbamoylase I showing homogeneity on SDS-PAGE was obtained. Carbamoylase I was revealed to be a glycoprotein, having estimated molecular weight of 190 kDa.