Encapsulation and immobilization of papain in electrospun nanofibrous membranes of PVA cross-linked with glutaraldehyde vapor

Controlled Primary Amine-Enriched SG-Bonded Papain Surface: Synthesis, Characterization, and Extraction of Protonated Dichromate

The single-step synthesis of nitro-derivatized SG using dimethyldichlorosilane in an aprotic solvent dichloromethane at 300 K is efficient and straightforward. Reduction and diazotization effectively functionalize the material for enzyme coupling at the O-carbon of the enzyme's tyrosine. The high extraction efficiency of protonated dichromate ions with a breakthrough capacity of 480 μmol·g-1 is notable. Eco-friendly elution using distilled water achieves a significant enrichment factor of 23.2. Excellent reusability (up to 900 cycles) and stable sorption efficiency (ζ ≥ 0.9) highlight the material's potential for practical applications and future research.

Polymer/Enzyme Composite Materials—Versatile Catalysts with Multiple Applications

A significant interest was granted lately to enzymes, which are versatile catalysts characterized by natural origin, with high specificity and selectivity for particular substrates. Additionally, some enzymes are involved in the production of high-valuable products, such as antibiotics, while others are known for their ability to transform emerging contaminates, such as dyes and pesticides, to simpler molecules with a lower environmental impact. Nevertheless, the use of enzymes in industrial applications is limited by their reduced stability in extreme conditions and by their difficult recovery and reusability. Rationally, enzyme immobilization on organic or inorganic matrices proved to be one of the most successful innovative approaches to increase the stability of enzymatic catalysts. By the immobilization of enzymes on support materials, composite biocatalysts are obtained that pose an improved stability, preserving the enzymatic activity and some of the support material’s properties. Of high interest are the polymer/enzyme composites, which are obtained by the chemical or physical attachment of enzymes on polymer matrices. This review highlights some of the latest findings in the field of polymer/enzyme composites, classified according to the morphology of the resulting materials, following their most important applications.

Antibacterial and hemostatic capacities of cellulose nanocrystalline-reinforced poly(vinyl alcohol) electrospun mats doped with Tiger 17 and pexiganan peptides for prospective wound healing applications

Infection is a major issue in chronic wound care. Different dressings have been developed to prevent microbial propagation, but an effective, all-in-one (cytocompatible, antimicrobial and promoter of healing) solution is still to be uncovered. In this research, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanofibrous mats reinforced with cellulose nanocrystal (CNC), at 10 and 20% v/v ratios, were produced by electrospinning, crosslinked with glutaraldehyde vapor and doped with specialized peptides. Crosslinking increased the mats' fiber diameters but maintained their bead-free morphology. Miscibility between polymers was confirmed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and thermal evaluations. Despite the incorporation of CNC having reduced the mats' mechanical performance, it improved the mats' surface energy and its structural stability over time. Pexiganan with an extra cysteine group was functionalized onto the mats via hydroxyl- polyethylene glycol 2-maleimide, while Tiger 17 was physisorbed to preserve its cyclic conformation. Antimicrobial assessments demonstrated the peptide-doped mat's effectiveness against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa; pexiganan contributed mostly for such outcome. Tiger 17 showed excellent capacity in accelerating clotting. Cytocompatibility evaluations attested to these mats' safety. C90/10 PVA/CNC mats were deemed the most effective from the tested group and, thus, a potentially effective option for chronic wound treatments.

Tiger 17 and pexiganan as antimicrobial and hemostatic boosters of cellulose acetate-containing poly(vinyl alcohol) electrospun mats for potential wound care purposes

In this research, we propose to engineer a nanostructured mat that can simultaneously kill bacteria and promote an environment conducive to healing for prospective wound care. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and cellulose acetate (CA) were combined at different polymer ratios (100/0, 90/10, 80/20% v/v), electrospun and crosslinked with glutaraldehyde vapor. Crosslinked fibers increased in diameter (from 194 to 278 nm), retaining their uniform structure. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and thermal analyses proved the excellent miscibility between polymers. CA incorporation incremented the fibers swelling capacity and reduced the water vapor and air permeabilities of the mats, preventing the excessive drying of wounds. The antimicrobial peptide cys-pexiganan and the immunoregulatory peptide Tiger 17 were incorporated onto the mats via polyethylene glycol spacer (hydroxyl-PEG2-maleimide) and physisorbed, respectively. Time-kill kinetics evaluations revealed the mats effectiveness against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Tiger 17 played a major role in accelerating clotting of re-calcified plasma. Data reports for the first time the collaborative effect of pexiganan and Tiger 17 against bacterial infections and in boosting hemostasis. Cytocompatibility data verified the peptide-modified mats safety. Croslinked 90/10 PVA/CA mats were deemed the most promising combination due to their moderate hydrophilicity and permeabilities, swelling capacity, and high yields of peptide loading.

Modified PVA membrane for separation of micro-emulsion

Release of liquefied hydrocarbons in domestic and industrial effluents, along with oil spills cause significant adverse effects on the soil, water, aquatic ecosystem, and humans. Thus, selective and cost-effective technology to address this challenge is highly desirable. Here, we report the fabrication of electrospun polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) membrane, modified with glutaraldehyde (GA) and a device thereof, for treatment of oil emulsions and recovery of precious fossil fuel. The modified PVA membranes are super-oleophobic with a high static underwater oil contact angle of 163 ± 3° for motor oil. Investigation of wetting properties suggests that the membrane can efficiently separate different oils such as sesame oil, motor oil, mustard oil, and sunflower oil from their emulsions. The motor oil emulsion with separation efficiency of >99% at an excellent permeate flux of 5128 L/m²·h·bar has been achieved. Thus, the prepared modified PVA membrane construes an easy solution for not only effective treatment of oily wastewater but also for oil recovery with high flux.

SpyTag/Catcher chemistry induces the formation of active inclusion bodies in E. coli

SpyTag/Catcher chemistry is usually applied to engineer robust enzymes via head-to-tail cyclization using spontaneous intramolecular isopeptide bond formation. However, the SpyTag/Catcher induced intercellular protein assembly in vivo cannot be ignored. It was found that some active inclusion bodies had generated to different proportions in the expression of six SpyTag/Catcher labeled proteins (CatIBs-STCProtein). Some factors that may affect the formation of CatIBs-STCProtein were discussed, and the subunit quantities were found to be strongly positively related to the formation of protein aggregates. Approximately 85.44% of the activity of the octameric protein leucine dehydrogenase (LDH) was expressed in aggregates, while the activity of the monomeric protein green fluorescence protein (GFP) in aggregates was 12.51%. The results indicated that SpyTag/Catcher can be used to form protein aggregates in E. coli. To facilitate the advantages of CatIBs-STCProtein, we took the CatIBs-STCLDH as an example and further chemically cross-linked with glutaraldehyde to obtain novel cross-linked enzyme aggregates (CLEAs-CatIBs-STCLDH). CLEAs-CatIBs-STCLDH had good thermal stability and organic solvents stability, and its activity remained 51.03% after incubation at 60 °C for 100 mins. Moreover, the crosslinked CatIBs-STCLDH also showed superior stability over traditional CLEAs, and its activity remained 98.70% after 10 cycles of catalysis.

Lipase immobilization on a novel class of Zr-MOF/electrospun nanofibrous polymers: Biochemical characterization and efficient biodiesel production

In this study, due to the favorable properties of MOF compounds and fibrous materials, new nanostructures of Zr-MOF/PVP nanofibrous composites were synthesized by electrospinning procedure. The related features of these samples were characterized by relevant analyzes, including SEM, BET surface area analysis, XRD, and FTIR spectroscopy. The final product showed significant properties such as small particle size distribution, large surface area, and high crystallinity. This strategy for producing these nanostructures could lead to new compounds as novel alternative materials for biological applications. Lipase MG10 was successfully immobilized on the mentioned nanofibrous composites and biochemically characterized. The lipase activity of free and immobilized lipases was considered by measuring the absorbance of pNPP (500 μM in 40 mM Tris/HCl buffer, pH 7.8, and 0.01% Triton X100) at 37 °C for 30 min. Different concentrations of glutaraldehyde, different crosslinking times, different times of immobilization, different enzyme loading, and different pH values have been optimized. Results showed that the optimized immobilization condition was achieved in 2.5% glutaraldehyde, after 2 h of crosslinking time, after 6 h immobilization time, using 180 mg protein/g support at pH 9.0. The immobilized enzyme was also totally stable after 180 min incubation at 60 °C. The free enzyme showed the maximum activity at pH 9.0, but the optimal pH of the immobilized lipase was shifted about 1.5 pH units to the alkaline area. The immobilized lipase showed about 2.7 folds (78%) higher stability than the free enzyme at 50 °C. Some divalent metal ions, including Cu²⁺ (22%), Co²⁺ (37%), Mg²⁺ (12%), Hg²⁺ (11%), and Mn²⁺ (17%) enhanced the enzyme activity of immobilized enzyme. The maximum biodiesel production (27%) from R. communis oil was obtained after 18 h of incubation by lipase MG10. The immobilized lipase displayed high potency in biodiesel production, about 83% after 12 h of incubation. These results indicated the high potency of Zr-MOF/PVP nanofibrous composites for efficient lipase immobilization.

Encapsulation of Natural Bioactive Compounds by Electrospinning-Applications in Food Storage and Safety

Packaging is used to protect foods from environmental influences and microbial contamination to maintain the quality and safety of commercial food products, to avoid their spoilage and to extend their shelf life. In this respect, bioactive packaging is developing to additionally provides antibacterial and antioxidant activity with the same goals i.e., extending the shelf life while ensuring safety of the food products. New solutions are designed using natural antimicrobial and antioxidant agents such as essential oils, some polysaccharides, natural inorganic nanoparticles (nanoclays, oxides, metals as silver) incorporated/encapsulated into appropriate carriers in order to be used in food packaging. Electrospinning/electrospraying are receiving attention as encapsulation methods due to their cost-effectiveness, versatility and scalability. The electrospun nanofibers and electro-sprayed nanoparticles can preserve the functionality and protect the encapsulated bioactive compounds (BC). In this review are summarized recent results regarding applications of nanostructured suitable materials containing essential oils for food safety.

Overview on immobilization of enzymes on synthetic polymeric nanofibers fabricated by electrospinning

The arrangement and type of support has a significant impact on the efficiency of immobilized enzymes. 1-dimensional fibrous materials can be one of the most desirable supports for enzyme immobilization. This is due to their high surface area to volume ratio, internal porosity, ease of handling, and high mechanical stability, all of which allow a higher enzyme loading, release and finally lead to better catalytic efficiency. Fortunately, the enzymes can reside inside individual nanofibers to remain encapsulated and retain their three-dimensional structure. These properties can protect the enzyme's tolerance against harsh conditions such as pH variations and high temperature, and this can probably enhance the enzyme's stability. This review article will discuss the immobilization of enzymes on synthetic polymers, which are fabricated into nanofibers by electrospinning. This technique is rapidly gaining popularity as one of the most practical ways to fibricate polymer, metal oxide, and composite micro or nanofibers. As a result, there is interest in using nanofibers to immobilize enzymes. Furthermore, present research on electrospun nanofibers for enzyme immobilization is primarily limited to the lab scale and industrial scale is still challanging. The primary future research objectives of this paper is to investigate the use of electrospun nanofibers for enzyme immobilization, which includes increasing yield to transfer biological products into commercial applications.

Lipase immobilization on glutaraldehyde activated graphene oxide/chitosan/cellulose acetate electrospun nanofibrous membranes and its application on the synthesis of benzyl acetate

In this research, lipase Km12 was immobilized on the glutaraldehyde-activated graphene oxide/chitosan/cellulose acetate nanofibers (GO/Chit/CA NFs) prepared by the electrospinning method. This immobilized lipase exhibited a higher activity value than the free lipase in the acidic pH region. This enzyme showed a 10 °C shift in the maximum temperature activity. Results displayed that the Vmax value of NFs-lipase was 0.64 µmol/min, while it was gained 0.405 µmol/min for the free lipase. The activity of NFs-lipase was reserved 100% after 10 min maintaining at 60 °C, in which the free lipase only kept 75% of its original activity. Moreover, a 20% enhancement in the lipase activity was observed for NFs-lipase after 180 min of incubation at 60 °C, compared to the free enzyme. Reusability studies exhibited that the immobilized lipase well-kept 80% of its original activity after 10 cycles of reusing. Results displayed that 14% of the protein was leaked from NFs-lipase at the same condition. Transesterification results indicated that the free lipase exhibited 65% and 85% conversation level of benzyl acetate after 12 and 24 h of incubation. Besides, the immobilized lipase showed 80% and 95% conversation level at the same condition. These results indicated the high performance of free and immobilized lipase in the production of benzyl acetate for applications in the perfume and cosmetic industries.

An overview on biocatalysts immobilization on textiles: Preparation, progress and application in wastewater treatment

The immobilization of biocatalysts or other bioactive components often means their transformation from a soluble to an insoluble state by attaching them to a solid support material. Various types of fibrous textiles from both natural and synthetic sources have been studied as suitable support material for biocatalysts immobilization. Strength, inexpensiveness, high surface area, high porosity, pore size, availability in various forms, and simple preparation/functionalization techniques have made textiles a primary choice for various applications. This led to the concept of a new domain called-biocatalysts immobilization on textiles. By addressing the growing advancement in biocatalysts immobilization on textile, this study provides the first detailed overview on this topic based on the terms of preparation, progress, and application in wastewater treatment. The fundamental reason behind the necessity of biocatalysts immobilized textile as well as the potential preparation methods has been identified and discussed. The overall progress and performances of biocatalysts immobilized textile have been scrutinized and summarized based on the form of textile, catalytic activity, and various influencing factors. This review also highlighted the potential challenges and future considerations that can enhance the pervasive use of such immobilized biocatalysts in various sustainable and green chemistry applications.

Controlled Release of Chlorogenic Acid from Polyvinyl Alcohol/Poly(γ-Glutamic Acid) Blended Electrospun Nanofiber Mats with Potential Applications in Diabetic Foot Treatment

This work biosynthesized poly(γ-glutamic acid) (γ-PGA) produced by Bacillus licheniformis ATCC-9945a. This material was utilized to prepare electrospun nanofibers with solutions of 10% polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) (w/v) mixed with γ-PGA at 5 and 10% w/v, intended as a wound dressing for diabetic foot treatment. These solutions were loaded with chlorogenic acid (CGA), an active hypoglycemic agent. Morphological analysis showed a decrease in size of the fibers with the combination of PVA/γ-PGA compared to pure PVA nanofibers, which was attributed to the hydrogen bonding interactions between the glutaraldehyde vapors, γ-PGA, and PVA that permitted nanofiber cross-linking and allowed CGA release. The in vitro release analysis showed that the PVA membranes reached 28% delivery after the first 24 h. Notably, the nanofiber mat with PVA blended with 5% γ-PGA reached 57% delivery, and the PVA nanofiber with 10% γ-PGA reached 66% release after the same amount of time. The rate constant for the release kinetics showed that PVA with 5% γ-PGA had a higher value than that of the other samples, reaching saturation first.

Immobilization of papain: A review

Papain is a cysteine protease from papaya, with many applications due to its broad specificity. This paper reviews for first time the immobilization of papain on different supports (organic, inorganic or hybrid supports) presenting some of the features of the utilized immobilization strategies (e.g., epoxide, glutaraldehyde, genipin, glyoxyl for covalent immobilization). Special focus is placed on the preparation of magnetic biocatalysts, which will permit the simple recovery of the biocatalyst even if the medium is a suspension. Problems specific to the immobilization of proteases (e.g., steric problems when hydrolyzing large proteins) are also defined. The benefits of a proper immobilization (enzyme stabilization, widening of the operation window) are discussed, together with some artifacts that may suggest an enzyme stabilization that may be unrelated to enzyme rigidification.

Carbonic Anhydrase Carrying Electrospun Nanofibers for Biocatalysis Applications

BACKGROUND

Enzymes are efficient biocatalysis that catalysis a large number of reactions due to their chemical, regional, or stereo specifities and selectivity. Their usage in bioreactor or biosensor systems has great importance. Carbonic anhydrase enzyme catalyzes the interconversion between carbon dioxide and water and the dissociated ions of carbonic acid. In organisms, the carbonic anhydrase enzyme has crucial roles connected with pH and CO₂ homeostasis, respiration, and transport of CO₂/bicarbonate, etc. So, immobilization of the enzyme is important in stabilizing the catalyst against thermal and chemical denaturation in bioreactor systems when compared to the free enzyme that is unstable at high temperatures and extreme pH values, as well as in the presence of organic solvents or toxic reagents. Nano-scale composite materials have attracted considerable attention in recent years, and electrospinning based all-nanocomposite materials have a wide range of applications. In this study, electrospun nanofibers were fabricated and used for the supporting media for carbonic anhydrase enzyme immobilization to enhance the enzyme storage and usage facilities.

OBJECTIVE

In this article, our motivation is to obtain attractive electrospun support for carbonic anhydrase enzyme immobilization to enhance the enzyme reusability and storage ability in biocatalysis applications.

METHODS

In this article, we propose electrospun nanofibers for carbonic anhydrase carrying support for achieving our aforementioned object. In the first part of the study, agar with polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers was directly fabricated from an agar-PAN mixture solution using the electrospinning method, and fabricated nanofibers were cross-linked via glutaraldehyde (GA). The morphology, chemical structure, and stability of the electrospun nanofibers were characterized. In the second part of the study, the carbonic anhydrase enzyme was immobilized onto fabricated electrospun nanofibers. Then, enzyme activity, the parameters that affect enzyme immobilization such as pH, enzyme amount, immobilization time, etc. and reusability were investigated.

RESULTS

When the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis results are combined in the characterization process of the synthesized electrospun nanofibers, the optimum cross-linking time is found to be 8 hours using 5% glutaraldehyde cross-linking agent. Then, thermal stability measurements showed that the thermal stability of electrospun nanofibers has an excellent characteristic for biomedical applications. The optimum temperature value was found 37°C, pH 8 was determined as an optimum pH, and 100 ppm carbonic anhydrase enzyme concentration was found to be optimum enzyme concentration for the carbonic anhydrase enzyme immobilization. According to the kinetic data, carbonic anhydrase immobilized electrospun nanofibers acted as a biocatalyst in the conversion of the substrate to the product in 83.98%, and immobilized carbonic anhydrase enzyme is reusable up to 9 cycles in biocatalysis applications.

CONCLUSION

After applying the framework, we get a new biocatalysis application platform for carbonic anhydrase enzyme. Electrospun nanofibers were chosen as the support material for enzyme immobilization. By using this approach, the carbonic anhydrase enzyme could easily be used in the industrial area by cost-effective advantageous aspects.

Non-covalent and covalent immobilization of papain onto Ti3C2 MXene nanosheets

Papain was immobilized onto Ti₃C₂ MXene nanosheets by physical adsorption and physical adsorption combined with covalent crosslinking with glutaraldehyde. Ti₃C₂ MXene nanosheets were prepared by hydrofluoric acid etching method. The resulting products were well characterized by SEM, BET, XRD, FTIR, XPS. The optimized immobilization conditions are pH 6.5, immobilization time of 20 h, immobilization temperature of 10℃, and 10 mL 2 mg mL^-1 papain, the amount of papain immobilized was 156 mg g^-1, the activity of the immobilized papain determined was 1701 U∙g^-1. The immobilized papain exhibited enhanced pH and temperature endurances, immobilized papain also showed improved storage stability (39.25 % and 65.57 % after 20 days of storage at 4 °C). papain reusability was significantly improved after immobilization and it retained more than 50 % of its initial activity after 5 repeated cycles. Interestingly, the results of immobilized enzymes demonstrated that the immobilization of enzymes on Ti₃C₂ MXene is feasible. Such approach could be transferred to other support systems for anchoring enzyme.

Biochemical Properties and Anti-Biofilm Activity of Chitosan-Immobilized Papain

Chitosan, the product of chitin deacetylation, is an excellent candidate for enzyme immobilization purposes. Here we demonstrate that papain, an endolytic cysteine protease (EC: 3.4.22.2) from Carica papaya latex immobilized on the matrixes of medium molecular (200 kDa) and high molecular (350 kDa) weight chitosans exhibits anti-biofilm activity and increases the antimicrobials efficiency against biofilm-embedded bacteria. Immobilization in glycine buffer (pH 9.0) allowed adsorption up to 30% of the total protein (mg g chitosan⁻¹) and specific activity (U mg protein⁻¹), leading to the preservation of more than 90% of the initial total activity (U mL⁻¹). While optimal pH and temperature of the immobilized papain did not change, the immobilized enzyme exhibited elevated thermal stability and 6–7-fold longer half-life time in comparison with the soluble papain. While one-half of the total enzyme dissociates from both carriers in 24 h, this property could be used for wound-dressing materials design with dosed release of the enzyme to overcome the relatively high cytotoxicity of soluble papain. Our results indicate that both soluble and immobilized papain efficiently destroy biofilms formed by Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis. As a consequence, papain, both soluble and immobilized on medium molecular weight chitosan, is capable of potentiating the efficacy of antimicrobials against biofilm-embedded Staphylococci. Thus, papain immobilized on medium molecular weight chitosan appears a presumably beneficial agent for outer wound treatment for biofilms destruction, increasing antimicrobial treatment effectiveness.

Encapsulation of β-Glucosidase within PVA Fibers by CCD-RSM-Guided Coelectrospinning: A Novel Approach for Specific Mogroside Sweetener Production

Siamenoside I is a rare mogroside in Siraitia grosvenorii Swingle and has become one of the target ingredients in natural sweetener production. However, the complex structure of siamenoside I has hindered its production in various ways. Here, a yeast cell that produces a specific β-glucosidase for siamenoside I conversion from mogroside V was constructed, and the enzymes were coelectrospun with poly(vinyl alcohol) followed by phenylboronic acid cross-linking to provide potential usage in the batch production process of Siamenoside I. A central composite design (CCD)-response surface methodology (RSM) was used to find the optimum coelectrospinning parameters. The pH stability and sodium dodecyl sulfate tolerance increased for the entrapped enzymes, and positive correlations between the fiber diameter and enzymatic activity were confirmed. The batch process showed an average siamenoside I production rate of 118 ± 0.08 mg L^-1 h^-1 per gram of fiber. This is the first research article showing specific siamenoside I production on enzyme-loaded electrospun fibers.

Sinapic acid-loaded chitosan nanoparticles in polycaprolactone electrospun fibers for bone regeneration in vitro and in vivo

Sinapic acid (SA) is a plant-derived phenolic compound known for its multiple biological properties, but its role in the promotion of bone formation is not yet well-studied. Moreover, the delivery of SA is hindered by its complex hydrophobic nature, limiting its bioavailability. In this study, we fabricated a drug delivery system using chitosan nanoparticles (nCS) loaded with SA at different concentrations. These were incorporated into polycaprolactone (PCL) fibers via an electrospinning method. nCS loaded with 50 μM SA in PCL fibers promoted osteoblast differentiation. Furthermore, SA treatment activated the osteogenesis signaling pathways in mouse mesenchymal stem cells. A critical-sized rat calvarial bone defect model system identified that the inclusion of SA into PCL/nCS fibers accelerated bone formation. Collectively, these data suggest that SA promoted osteoblast differentiation in vitro and bone formation in vivo, possibly by activating the TGF-β1/BMP/Smads/Runx2 signaling pathways, suggesting SA might have therapeutic benefits in bone regeneration.

A comprehensive review on staphylococcal protein A (SpA): Its production and applications

The Staphylococcus aureus protein A (SpA) can be obtained through the culture of wild-type S. aureus and also as a recombinant protein in safe bacterial hosts. Several methods have been used to purify SpA among which ion-exchange chromatography, affinity chromatography, gel filtration, and per aqueous liquid chromatography (PALC) are common. SpA has a wide range of biochemical, biotechnological, and medical applications and is most commonly used in test methods such as immunoprecipitation, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and Western blotting. SpA has also been widely utilized in pharmaceutical applications to bind to immune complexes and serum immunoglobulins. SpA also directly binds to the B-cells preventing initiation of infectious diseases as well as having a role in the development of various autoimmune diseases. This review considers different applications of SpA in biotechnology and its novel clinical application for effective treatment of autoimmune diseases. It also discusses various strategies for expression and purification of the SpA including types of column chromatography that are commonly used in protein purification and developing SpA surface display technologies. Finally, this review highlights the potential and novel applications of SpA immobilization, SpA typing, protein engineering for further development of immunological and biochemical research, and also application of SpA as a diagnostic biosensor.

Continuous degradation of Direct Red 23 by calcium pectate-bound Ziziphus mauritiana peroxidase: identification of metabolites and degradation routes

In the present study, oxido-reductive degradation of diazo dye, Direct Red 23, has been carried out by Ziziphus mauritiana peroxidases (specific activity 17.6 U mg^-1). Peroxidases have been immobilized via simple adsorption and cross-linking by glutaraldehyde; adsorbed and cross-linked enzyme retained 94.28% and 91.23% of original activity, respectively. The stability of peroxidases was enhanced significantly upon immobilization; a marked widening in both pH and temperature activity profiles were observed. Adsorbed peroxidases exhibited similar pH and temperature optima as reported for the free enzyme. Thermal stability was significantly enhanced in case of cross-linked enzyme which showed 80.52% activity even after 2 h of incubation at 60 °C. Packed bed reactors containing adsorbed and cross-linked peroxidases were run over a period of 4 weeks; adsorbed peroxidases retained 52.86% activity whereas cross-linked peroxidases maintained over 77% dye decolorization ability at the end of the fourth week of its continuous operation. Gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry was used to analyze the degradation products; it showed the presence of four major metabolites. Degradation of dye starts with the 1-Hydroxybenzotriazole radical attack on the carbon atom of the phenolic ring bearing azo linkage, converting it into cation radical which underwent nucleophilic attack by a water molecule and results in cleavage of chromophore via symmetric and asymmetric cleavage pathways. Intermediates undergo spontaneous removal of nitrogen, deamination, and oxidation reactions to produce maleic acid as the final degradation product. Graphical abstract.

Highly active nanobiocatalysis in deep eutectic solvents via metal-driven enzyme-surfactant nanocomposite

Metal-driven papain-surfactant nanocomposite (PA@MSNC), a novel soft nanobiocatalyst, was successfully prepared via one-pot self-assembly technique in aqueous solution for the biosynthesis of N-(benzyloxycarbonyl)-L-alanyl-L-glutamine (Z-Ala-Gln) dipeptide in deep eutectic solvents (DESs). The metal-driven self-assembly process generated PA@MSNC as nanospheres of ˜130 nm in diameter, with high protein loading and relative enzyme activity of 420 mg/g and 80% (4270 U/g protein), respectively. PA@MSNC showed high apparent substrate affinity and catalytic efficiency. The stability of PA@MSNC at high temperature and extreme pH was significantly higher than that of free PA. Catalysis efficiency for the biosynthesis of Z-Ala-Gln by PA@MSNC in choline chloride: glycerol reaction medium was 1.69-fold higher than that of free PA, achieving a high product yield of 75.7% within 4 h. PA@MSNC also showed better techno-economic performance. We propose that enzyme-surfactant nanocomposite via metal-driven dynamically reversible coordination interactions contribute simultaneously promotes catalytic flexibility and configurational stability. The generated PA@MSNC has potential practical implications for green synthesis of dipeptide in DESs.

Dual Functional Ultrafiltration Membranes with Enzymatic Digestion and Thermo-Responsivity for Protein Self-Cleaning

Controlling surface⁻protein interaction during wastewater treatment is the key motivation for developing functionally modified membranes. A new biocatalytic thermo-responsive poly vinylidene fluoride (PVDF)/nylon-6,6/poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)(PNIPAAm) ultrafiltration membrane was fabricated to achieve dual functionality of protein-digestion and thermo-responsive self-cleaning. The PVDF/nylon-6,6/PNIPAAm composite membranes were constructed by integrating a hydrophobic PVDF cast layer and hydrophilic nylon-6,6/PNIPAAm nanofiber layer on to which trypsin was covalently immobilized. The enzyme immobilization density on the membrane surface decreased with increasing PNIPAAm concentration, due to the decreased number of amine functional sites. An ultrafiltration study was performed using the synthetic model solution containing BSA/NaCl/CaCl2, where the PNIPAAm containing biocatalytic membranes demonstrated a combined effect of enzymatic and thermo-switchable self-cleaning. The membrane without PNIPAAm revealed superior fouling resistance and self-cleaning with an RPD of 22%, compared to membranes with 2 and 4 wt % PNIPAAm with 26% and 33% RPD, respectively, after an intermediate temperature cleaning at 50 °C, indicating that higher enzyme density offers more efficient self-cleaning than the combined effect of enzyme and PNIPAAm at low concentration. The conformational volume phase transition of PNIPAAm did not affect the stability of immobilized trypsin on membrane surfaces. Such novel surface engineering design offer a promising route to mitigate surface⁻protein contamination in wastewater applications.

Surface-Engineered Biocatalytic Composite Membranes for Reduced Protein Fouling and Self-Cleaning

A new biocatalytic nanofibrous composite ultrafiltration membrane was developed to reduce protein fouling interactions and self-clean the membrane surface. The dual-layer poly(vinylidenefluoride)/nylon-6,6/chitosan composite membrane contains a hydrophobic poly(vinylidenefluoride) cast support layer and a hydrophilic functional nylon-6,6/chitosan nanofibrous surface layer where enzymes were chemically attached. The intrinsic surface chemistry and high surface area of the nanofibers allowed optimal and stable immobilization of trypsin (TR) and α-chymotrypsin enzymes via direct covalent binding. The enzyme immobilization was confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and visualized by confocal microscopy analysis. The prepared biocatalytic composite membranes were nanoporous with superior permeability offering stable protein antiadhesion and self-cleaning properties owing to the repulsive mechanism and digestion of proteins into peptides and amino acids, which was quantified by the gel electrophoresis technique. The TR-immobilized composite membranes exhibited 2.7-fold higher permeance and lower surface protein contamination with 3-fold greater permeance recovery, when compared to the pristine membrane after two ultrafiltration cycles with the model feed solution containing bovine serum albumin/NaCl/CaCl₂. The biocatalytic membranes retained about 50% of the enzyme activity after six reuse cycles but were regenerated to 100% activity after enzyme reloading, leading to a simple and cost-effective water remediation operation. Such surface- and pore-engineered membranes with self-cleaning properties offer a viable solution for severe surface protein contamination in food and water applications.