Adsorption and Activity of Candida rugosa Lipase on Polypropylene Hollow Fiber Membrane Modified with Phospholipid Analogous Polymers

A review on pectinase properties, application in juice clarification, and membranes as immobilization support

Pectic substances cause haziness and high viscosity of fruit juices. Pectinase enzymes are biological compounds that degrade pectic compounds. Nontoxicity and ecofriendly nature make pectinases excellent biocatalysts for juice clarification. However, the poor stability and nonreusability of pectinases trim down the effectiveness of the operation. The immobilization techniques have gained the attention of researchers as it augments the properties of the enzymes. Literature has reported the stability improvement of enzymes like lipase, laccase, hydrogen peroxidase, and cellulase upon immobilization on the membrane. However, only a few research articles divulge pectinase immobilization using a membrane. The catalysis-separation synergy of membrane-reactor has put indelible imprints in industrial applications. Immobilization of pectinase on the membrane can enhance its performance in juice processing. This review delineates the importance of physicochemical and kinematic properties of pectinases relating to the juice processing parameters. It also includes the influence of metal-ion cofactors on enzymes' activity. Considering the support and catalytic-separation facets of the membrane, the prediction of the membrane as support for pectinase immobilization has also been carried out.

Effect of Surfactant Structure on the Superactivity of Candida rugosa Lipase

In this work, we present the effects of ionic and zwitterionic surfactants on the hydrolytic activity of Candida rugosa lipase (CRL), one of the most important and widely used microbial lipases. A series of amine N-oxide surfactants was studied to explore the relationship between their molecular structures and their effect on catalytic properties of CRL. These zwitterionic amphiphiles are known for their ability to form aggregates that can increase their size, thanks to a sphere-rod transition, without any additive. Enzyme activity seemed to be improved by morphological changes of micelles from spherical to rod-like, and the structure of the monomers played a crucial role in this transition. In fact, all the amine oxides investigated provoked superactivation, but the CRL activity increased by lengthening the alkyl chain of N-oxide surfactants, whereas it decreased in the presence of bulky head groups. Superactivity was mainly because of an increase in k_cat (0.57 s^-1 in buffer, 0.80-1.99 s^-1 in surfactant solutions) and, in some cases, a decrease in K_M (2 × 10^-3 M in buffer, 1.08-4.28 × 10^-3 M in surfactant solutions). Micelles seemed to play a dual role: superactivity occurred at surfactant concentrations higher than their critical micelle concentration, but, on the other hand, micelles subtracted the substrate from the bulk, making it unavailable for the catalysis.

Assessment of the interacting mechanism between Candida rugosa lipases and hydroxyapatite and identification of the hydroxyapatite-binding sequence through proteomics and molecular modelling

Hydroxyapatite (HAP), a calcium-phosphate bioactive ceramic, is actively employed in medical and separation sciences.

Encouragement of Enzyme Reaction Utilizing Heat Generation from Ferromagnetic Particles Subjected to an AC Magnetic Field

We propose a method of activating an enzyme utilizing heat generation from ferromagnetic particles under an ac magnetic field. We immobilize α-amylase on the surface of ferromagnetic particles and analyze its activity. We find that when α-amylase/ferromagnetic particle hybrids, that is, ferromagnetic particles, on which α-amylase molecules are immobilized, are subjected to an ac magnetic field, the particles generate heat and as a result, α-amylase on the particles is heated up and activated. We next prepare a solution, in which α-amylase/ferromagnetic particle hybrids and free, nonimmobilized chitinase are dispersed, and analyze their activities. We find that when the solution is subjected to an ac magnetic field, the activity of α-amylase immobilized on the particles increases, whereas that of free chitinase hardly changes; in other words, only α-amylase immobilized on the particles is selectively activated due to heat generation from the particles.

Improved catalytic performance of lipase accommodated in the mesoporous silicas with polymer-modified microenvironment

The highly ordered mesoporous silicas with elaborately controlled microenvironment were synthesized via covalent incorporation of long-chain polymers (M(w) = 2000 g mol(-1)) bearing specific hydrophilic/hydrophobic balance. The microenvironment (hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity) of the mesoporous silicas was quantitatively determined by gas adsorption experiments and investigated by lysozyme (LYZ) adsorption. The relative activity of lipase from Pseudomonas cepacia (PCL) encapsulated in the mesoporous silica with moderate hydrophobic microenvironment (hereafter denoted as MHM) reaches up to 281% compared with the free PCL, notably higher than that of PCL accommodated in the mesoporous silicas with hydrophilic or strong hydrophobic microenvironment (20.7-26.2% relative to the free PCL). Moreover, PCL entrapped in the nanochannels with MHM affords the highest initial rate in the kinetic resolution of (R,S)-1-phenylethanol relative to other immobilized PCL. The above results suggest that the MHM could render the active center of PCL entirely exposed to the substrates without interrupting its native conformation in the "interfacial activation". In addition, the nanochannels with MHM could markedly improve the thermal stability of PCL (preserving nearly 60% of the initial activity after the incubation at 70 °C for 2 h) and facilitate the recycling of the immobilized PCL in both aqueous and organic media. Our work demonstrates that the subtle modulation of the microenvironment of mesoporous silicas for enzyme immobilization designates a very promising strategy to fabricate the highly active and stable heterogeneous biocatalysts for industrial application.

Optimal Conditions for Continuous Immobilization of Pseudozyma hubeiensis (Strain HB85A) Lipase by Adsorption in a Packed-Bed Reactor by Response Surface Methodology

This study aimed to develop an optimal continuous process for lipase immobilization in a bed reactor in order to investigate the possibility of large-scale production. An extracellular lipase of Pseudozyma hubeiensis (strain HB85A) was immobilized by adsorption onto a polystyrene-divinylbenzene support. Furthermore, response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to optimize enzyme immobilization and evaluate the optimum temperature and pH for free and immobilized enzyme. The optimal immobilization conditions observed were 150 min incubation time, pH 4.76, and an enzyme/support ratio of 1282 U/g support. Optimal activity temperature for free and immobilized enzyme was found to be 68°C and 52°C, respectively. Optimal activity pH for free and immobilized lipase was pH 4.6 and 6.0, respectively. Lipase immobilization resulted in improved enzyme stability in the presence of nonionic detergents, at high temperatures, at acidic and neutral pH, and at high concentrations of organic solvents such as 2-propanol, methanol, and acetone.

Plant products for pharmacology: application of enzymes in their transformations

Different plant products have been subjected to detailed investigations due to their increasing importance for improving human health. Plants are sources of many groups of natural products, of which large number of new compounds has already displayed their high impact in human medicine. This review deals with the natural products which may be found dissolved in lipid phase (phytosterols, vitamins etc.). Often subsequent convenient transformation of natural products may further improve the pharmacological properties of new potential medicaments based on natural products. To respect basic principles of sustainable and green procedures, enzymes are often employed as efficient natural catalysts in such plant product transformations. Transformations of lipids and other natural products under the conditions of enzyme catalysis show increasing importance in environmentally safe and sustainable production of pharmacologically important compounds. In this review, attention is focused on lipases, efficient and convenient biocatalysts for the enantio- and regioselective formation / hydrolysis of ester bond in a wide variety of both natural and unnatural substrates, including plant products, eg. plant oils and other natural lipid phase compounds. The application of enzymes for preparation of acylglycerols and transformation of other natural products provides big advantage in comparison with employing of conventional chemical methods: Increased selectivity, higher product purity and quality, energy conservation, elimination of heavy metal catalysts, and sustainability of the employed processes, which are catalyzed by enzymes. Two general procedures are used in the transformation of lipid-like natural products: (a) Hydrolysis/alcoholysis of triacylglycerols and (b) esterification of glycerol. The reactions can be performed under conventional conditions or in supercritical fluids/ionic liquids. Enzyme-catalyzed reactions in supercritical fluids combine the advantages of biocatalysts (substrate specificity under mild reaction conditions) and supercritical fluids (high mass-transfer rate, easy separation of reaction products from the solvent, environmental benefits based on excluding organic solvents from the production process).

Covalent immobilization of lipase from Candida rugosa onto poly(acrylonitrile-co-2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) electrospun fibrous membranes for potential bioreactor application

A simple way of fabricating enzymatic membrane reactor with high enzyme loading and activity retention from the conjugation between nanofibrous membrane and lipase was devised. Poly(acrylonitrile-co-2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PANCHEMA) was electrospun into fibrous membrane and used as support for enzyme immobilization. The hydroxyl groups on the fibrous membrane surface were activated with epichlorohydrin, cyanuric chloride or p-benzoquinone, respectively. Lipase from Candida rugosa was covalently immobilized on these fibrous membranes. The resulted bioactive fibrous membranes were examined in catalytic efficiency and activity for hydrolysis. The observed enzyme loading on the fibrous membrane with fiber diameter of 80-150 nm was up to 1.6% (wt/wt), which was as thrice as that on the fibrous membrane with fiber diameter of 800-1,000 nm. Activity retention for the immobilized lipase varied between 32.5% and 40.6% with the activation methods of hydroxyl groups. Stabilities of the immobilized lipase were obviously improved. In addition, continuous hydrolysis was carried out with an enzyme-immobilized fibrous membrane bioreactor and a steady hydrolysis conversion (3.6%) was obtained at a 0.23 mL/min flow rate under optimum condition.

Adsorption and activity of lipase from Candida rugosa on the chitosan-modified poly(acrylonitrile-co-maleic acid) membrane surface

Efforts have recently been made to improve the biocompatibility of support surface for enzyme immobilization, which could create a specific microenvironment for the enzymes and thus benefit the enzyme activity. In this work, one natural macromolecule, chitosan, was tethered on the surface of poly(acrylonitrile-co-maleic acid) (PANCMA) membrane to prepare a dual-layer biomimetic support for enzyme immobilization. Lipase from Candida rugosa was immobilized on this dual-layer biomimetic support by adsorption. The properties of the immobilized enzyme were assayed and compared with those of the free one. It was found that the adsorption capacity of lipase on the chitosan-tethered PANCMA membrane increases with the decrease of ionic strength and there is an optimum pH value for the adsorption. The activity retention of the immobilized lipase on the chitosan-tethered membrane by adsorption (54.1%) is higher than that by chemical bonding (44.5%). In comparison with the immobilized lipase by chemical bonding, there is a decrease of the K(m) value and an increase of the V(max) value for the immobilized lipase by adsorption. Additionally, the experimental results of thermal stabilities indicate that the residual activity of the immobilized lipase at 50 degrees C is 38% by adsorption and 65% by chemical bonding.

Construction of a comb-like glycosylated membrane surface by a combination of UV-induced graft polymerization and surface-initiated ATRP

Carbohydrate residues are found on the extracellular side of the cell membrane. They form a protective coating on the outer surface of the cell and are involved in intercellular recognition. Synthetic carbohydrate-based polymers, so-called glycopolymers, are emerging as important well-defined tools for investigating carbohydrate-based biological processes and for simulating various functions of carbohydrates. In this work, the surface of a polypropylene microporous membrane (PPMM) was modified with comb-like glycopolymer brushes by a combination of UV-induced graft polymerization and surface-initiated atom-transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). 2-Hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) was first grafted to the PPMM surface under UV irradiation in the presence of benzophenone and ferric chloride. ATRP initiator was then coupled to the hydroxyl groups of poly(HEMA) brushes. Surface-initiated ATRP of a glycomonomer, D-gluconamidoethyl methacrylate, was followed at ambient temperature in aqueous solvent. Water had a significant acceleration effect on the ATRP process; however, loss of control over the polymerization process was also observed. The addition of CuBr2 to the ATRP system largely increased the controllability at the cost of the polymerization rate. The grafting of HEMA, the coupling of ATRP initiator to the hydroxyl groups, and the surface-initiated ATRP were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

Nanofibrous poly(acrylonitrile-co-maleic acid) membranes functionalized with gelatin and chitosan for lipase immobilization

Nanofibrous membranes with an average diameter of 100 and 180 nm were fabricated from poly(acrylonitrile-co-maleic acid) (PANCMA) by the electrospinning process. These nanofibrous membranes contain reactive groups which can be used to covalently immobilize biomacromolecules. Two natural macromolecules, chitosan and gelatin, were tethered on these nanofibrous membranes to fabricate dual-layer biomimetic supports for enzyme immobilization in the presence of 1-ethyl-3-(dimethyl-aminopropyl) carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC)/N-hydroxyl succinimide (NHS). Lipase from Candida rugosa was then immobilized on these dual-layer biomimetic supports using glutaraldehyde (GA), and on the nascent PANCMA fibrous membrane using EDC/NHS as coupling agent, respectively. The properties of the immobilized lipases were assayed. It was found that there is an increase of the activity retention of the immobilized lipase on the chitosan-modified nanofibrous membrane (45.6+/-1.8%) and on the gelatin-modified one (49.7+/-1.8%), compared to that on the nascent one (37.6+/-1.8%). The kinetic parameters of the free and immobilized lipases, K(m) and V(max), were also assayed. In comparison with the immobilized lipase on the nascent nanofibrous membrane, there is an increase of the V(max) value for the immobilized lipases on the chitosan- and gelatin-modified nanofibrous membranes. Results also indicate that the pH and thermal stabilities of lipases increase upon immobilization. The residual activities of the immobilized lipases are 55% on the chitosan-modified nanofibrous membrane and 60% on the gelatin-modified one, after 10 uses.

Surface modification of polyacrylonitrile-based membranes by chemical reactions to generate phospholipid moieties

A novel approach for the surface modification of poly(acrylonitrile-co-2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PANCHEMA) membranes by introducing phospholipid moieties is presented, which involved the reaction of the hydroxyl groups on the membrane surface with 2-chloro-2-oxo-1,3,2-dioxaphospholane (COP) followed by the ring-opening reaction of COP with trimethylamine. The chemical changes of phospholipid-modified acrylonitrile-based copolymers (PMANCP) membranes were characterized by Fourier transfer infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The surface properties of PMANCP membranes were evaluated by pure water contact angle, protein adsorption, and platelet adhesion measurements. Pure water contact angles measured by the sessile drop method on PMANCP membranes were obviously lower than those measured on the PANCHEMA membranes and decreased with the increase of the content of phospholipid moieties on the membrane surface. It was found that the bovine serum albumin adsorption and platelet adhesion were suppressed significantly with the introduction of phospholipid moieties on the membranes surface. These results demonstrated that the described process was an efficient way to improve the surface biocompatibility for the acrylonitrile-based copolymer membrane.