Carboxymethyl Cellulose-Based Polymers as Promising Matrices for Ficin Immobilization.

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Biomaterials Science
• Enzyme Engineering

Background:

• Carboxymethyl cellulose sodium salt (CMCNa) and its derivatives are widely used biomaterials.
• Ficin is a cysteine protease with potential applications in medicine and industry.
• Understanding enzyme-biopolymer interactions is crucial for developing novel biocatalysts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the interaction between CMCNa derivatives and ficin.
• To evaluate the proteolytic activity of immobilized ficin.
• To explore the potential of these conjugates in biomedicine and biotechnology.

Main Methods:

• Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to analyze molecular interactions.
• Flexible molecular docking to predict binding modes.
• Proteolytic activity assay using azocasein to quantify enzyme performance.

Main Results:

• FTIR and molecular docking confirmed the formation of conjugates between CMCNa derivatives and ficin.
• Immobilized ficin exhibited significantly higher specific activity compared to the native enzyme.
• Conformation modulation of ficin's globule and active site by weak physical interactions was observed.

Conclusions:

• CMCNa-based materials effectively immobilize ficin, enhancing its proteolytic activity.
• The enhanced activity is attributed to favorable conformational changes in the enzyme.
• These findings support the expanded use of ficin in biomedical and biotechnological applications.