PHEMA based composite cryogels with loaded hydrophobic beads for lysozyme purification

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Protein Chemistry
• Separation Technology

Background:

• Lysozyme is a valuable enzyme found in egg white.
• Efficient purification methods are crucial for obtaining high-purity lysozyme.
• Developing advanced materials for affinity chromatography is an active research area.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize a megaporous cryogel composite for lysozyme purification.
• To incorporate hydrophobic affinity beads into a cryogel matrix.
• To evaluate the lysozyme adsorption capacity and reusability of the composite material.

Main Methods:

• Dispersion polymerization was used to create poly(glycidyl methacrylate-N-methacryloyl-(L)-tryptophan methyl-ester) [PGMATrp] beads.
• Poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) [PHEMA] cryogel loaded with PGMATrp beads was synthesized via cryopolymerization at -12°C.
• Lysozyme adsorption capacity and reusability were assessed for the PHEMA/PGMATrp composite cryogel.

Main Results:

• The synthesized PHEMA/PGMATrp composite cryogel exhibited a high lysozyme adsorption capacity of 332.7 mg/g.
• The incorporation of PGMATrp beads significantly enhanced the adsorption performance.
• The composite cryogel demonstrated excellent reusability with minimal loss in adsorption capacity over multiple cycles.

Conclusions:

• The developed PHEMA/PGMATrp composite cryogel is an effective material for lysozyme purification.
• The hydrophobic N-methacryloyl-(L)-tryptophan methylester ligand plays a key role in lysozyme binding.
• This cryogel offers a promising, high-capacity, and reusable platform for protein separation applications.