Pancreatic Lipase in Eutectogels as Emerging Materials: Exploring Their Properties and Potential Applications in...

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Biocatalysis
• Biosensing

Background:

• Eutectogels integrate deep eutectic solvents (DES) into polymer networks for advanced applications.
• Enzyme immobilization is crucial for developing stable and reusable biocatalytic systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize the first enzyme-containing eutectogel using pancreatic lipase.
• To evaluate the potential of eutectogels for biosensing and drug screening applications.

Main Methods:

• Immobilization of pancreatic lipase in eutectogels via UV-induced radical polymerization.
• Solubilization of lipase in DESs (choline chloride/glycerol, tetramethylammonium chloride/glycerol).
• Activity and stability assessment using colorimetry and fluorescence; inhibitor screening with orlistat.

Main Results:

• Choline chloride/glycerol and tetramethylammonium chloride/glycerol effectively preserved and enhanced lipase activity and stability.
• Immobilized lipase maintained high structural integrity, thermal stability, and activity for several weeks.
• The eutectogel system successfully detected the inhibitory effect of orlistat at nanomolar concentrations.

Conclusions:

• Enzyme-containing eutectogels represent a significant advancement for biosensing and biocatalysis.
• This material shows great promise as a screening platform for novel anti-obesity inhibitors.
• The developed device is a sensitive tool for pharmaceutical quality control and drug quantification.