Microencapsulation III: Preparation of invertase microcapsules

Area of Science:

• Biocatalysis and Enzyme Immobilization
• Materials Science and Engineering
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Enzyme immobilization is crucial for industrial applications, improving stability and reusability.
• Polyamide microcapsules offer a versatile matrix for enzyme encapsulation.
• Invertase enzyme stability can be compromised by environmental factors like pH.

Purpose of the Study:

• To optimize the encapsulation of invertase enzyme within polyamide microcapsules.
• To investigate methods for protecting encapsulated invertase from inactivation.
• To develop alternative protein-based microcapsule systems for enzyme immobilization.

Main Methods:

• Interfacial polymerization was used to create polyamide microcapsules containing invertase.
• Parameters such as pH, polymerization time, surfactant concentration, and stirring rate were studied.
• An emulsification-reticulation method using proteins and acylating agents was developed for enzyme immobilization.

Main Results:

• Optimization of interfacial polymerization parameters improved microcapsule formation and enzyme incorporation.
• Incorporation of protective proteins significantly enhanced invertase stability against pepsin inactivation in acidic media.
• Successful immobilization of invertase was achieved by cross-linking the enzyme within protein matrices.

Conclusions:

• Polyamide microcapsules provide a viable system for invertase encapsulation, with tunable properties.
• Protective protein incorporation is an effective strategy to enhance enzyme stability in microcapsules.
• The emulsification-reticulation method offers a novel approach for creating robust, immobilized enzyme systems.