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Modified chitosan microspheres in non-aggregated amylase immobilization
Medha Rana1, Amita Kumari2, Ghanshyam S Chauhan3
1School of Chemistry, Shoolini University, Solan 173229, India.
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules
|February 22, 2014
Summary
Porous chitosan microspheres effectively immobilized α-amylase, maintaining high activity and stability for industrial biocatalysis. This reusable enzyme matrix shows promise for sustainable chemical processes.
Area of Science:
- Biocatalysis
- Materials Science
- Chemical Engineering
Background:
- Immobilized enzymes serve as valuable reusable catalysts in industrial applications.
- Developing efficient immobilization matrices is crucial for enhancing enzyme stability and reusability.
- Chitosan-based materials offer potential due to their biocompatibility and tunable properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize porous chitosan microspheres as a matrix for enzyme immobilization.
- To evaluate the immobilization capacity and activity of α-amylase on the synthesized matrix.
- To assess the stability and reusability of the immobilized α-amylase under various conditions.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of chitosan microspheres via grafting and covalent gelation using acrylamide (AAm) and glutaraldehyde (GA).
- Immobilization of α-amylase onto the synthesized chitosan-cl-poly(AAm) matrix.
- Characterization of immobilized enzyme using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and activity assays.
- Evaluation of operational stability, pH/temperature resistance, and reusability of immobilized α-amylase.
Main Results:
- Chitosan-cl-poly(AAm) microspheres exhibited a high immobilization capacity of 350 mg/g for α-amylase.
- SEM confirmed a porous microsphere structure facilitating non-aggregated enzyme immobilization.
- Immobilized α-amylase showed comparable activity (3.28 μmol/ml/min) to free α-amylase (3.46 μmol/ml/min).
- The immobilized enzyme demonstrated enhanced resistance to temperature and pH inactivation compared to free α-amylase.
- Over 60% of initial activity was retained after 30 days of storage at 4°C, and 50% after seven reuse cycles.
Conclusions:
- Synthesized porous chitosan microspheres are effective matrices for α-amylase immobilization.
- The immobilized enzyme exhibits high activity, stability, and reusability, suitable for industrial applications.
- This approach provides a foundation for immobilizing industrial biocatalysts in an active, non-aggregated form.
