Development and characterization of chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol polymer material with elastolytic and collagenolytic...

The biologically active polymeric material with entrapped peptidase Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis with caseinolytic, collagenase and elastase activities was developed as a promising product for medical use. We have evaluated and reported here the following physical-chemical and biochemical characteristics of entrapped enzyme: peptidase/polymer interaction and morphology analyses, film thickness, water content, time of dissolution in water and physiological saline, kinetic of casein hydrolysis and pH- and thermoprofiles of proteolytic activity. Scanning electron microscopy images shows the relative uniformity of the film surface with entrapped peptidase. The released peptidase was characterized by increased proteolytic activity in the acidic (14%-35%) and alkaline (7%-32%) regions. After nine months of storage, peptidase in chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol films retains more than 95% of its initial proteolytic activity. We consider this film as a perspective biotechnological agent in medicine.