Capture of lysozyme on macroporous cryogels by hydrophobic affinity chromatography

Mass production of cation-exchange cryogels and their chromatographic adsorption performance for bioseparation

The preparation of cryogels with enhanced protein adsorption capabilities holds significant promise in bioseparation. The challenge of industrializing cryogels lies in achieving efficient large-scale production while maintaining controllable performance characteristics. In this work, 200 of poly (hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (pHEMA) monolithic cryogels were mass-produced per batch by cryo-polymerization. Subsequently, 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propane sulfonic acid (AMPSA) was employed as the functional monomer and the cation-exchange pHEMA-AMPSA cryogel discs were successfully prepared by monolith slicing and then stirring graft polymerization. The stable performance of pHEMA cryogel monoliths produced in each batch and the grafting efficacies of pHEMA-AMPSA cryogel discs across different grafting batches were demonstrated to be consistent. An average maximum static adsorption capacity of lysozyme was achieved as 86.5 mg·(mL cryogel discs)-1, which was higher than those cryogels reported in references. Furthermore, pHEMA-AMPSA cryogel discs were compressed into columns to create cryogel disc-packed beds under different compression ratios, and the effects of compression ratio and loading volume on the chromatographic performance of lysozyme were studied. The dynamic adsorption capacity of lysozyme in cryogel disc-packed bed at a compression ratio of 40 % was five times that of the uncompressed state based on an equivalent volume basis of cryogel discs, reaching 13.1 mg·(mL cryogel bed)-1 when loading 1 mg mL-1 lysozyme with a total volume of 355.8 mL. This work offers a simple approach to mass-producing ion-exchange materials with reliable performance and high adsorption capacity for bioseparation industry applications.

Surface functionalized cryogels - characterization methods, recent progress in preparation and application

Cryogels are polymeric materials with a sponge-like microstructure and have attracted significant attention in recent decades. Research has focused on their composition, fabrication techniques, characterization methods as well as potential or existing fields of applications. The use of functional precursors or functionalizing ligands enables the preparation of cryogels with desired properties such as biocompatibility or responsivity. They can also exhibit adsorptive properties or can be used for catalytical purposes. Although a very brief overview about several functional (macro-)monomers and functionalizing ligands has been provided by previous reviewers for certain cryogel applications, so far there has been no particular focus on the evaluation of the functionalization success and the characterization methods used. This review will provide a comprehensive overview of different characterization methods most recently used for the evaluation of cryogel functionalization. Furthermore, new functional (macro-)monomers and subsequent cryogel functionalization strategies are discussed, based on synthetic polymers, biopolymers and a combination of both. This review highlights the importance of the functionalization aspect in cryogel research in order to produce materials with tailored properties for certain applications.

Synthesis and characterization of supermacroporous cryogel with immobilized p-aminobenzenesulfonamide as affinity ligand for the purification of lactoperoxidase from whey

This study proposed the development of a monolithic supermacroporous affinity column for direct capture of lactoperoxidase, a glycoprotein present in milk, whey, and colostrum, with several applications due to its wide antimicrobial activity. A poly(acrylamide)-based cryogel was produced by radical co-polymerization of monomers in frozen aqueous solution and activated with p-aminobenzenesulfonamide as a ligand for specific interaction with the lactoperoxidase. The axial liquid dispersion coefficients at different liquid flow rates were determined by measuring residence time distributions using the tracer pulse-response method. The axial dispersion coefficient was low and the height equivalent to theoretical plate was not dependent on the flow velocity. The adsorptive capacity of affinity cryogel was studied as a function of flow velocity and the best condition was 0.9 cm/min. The response surface methodology was applied to optimize the capture of the enzyme, as a function of pH and salt concentration. Higher purification factor value was found at a salt concentration of 80 mmol/L and pH of 8.0 (p < 0.05). There was no influence of the variables under study on the yield (p > 0.05). The results indicated that affinity cryogel is a promising chromatography support for the use in high-throughput one-step purification of lactoperoxidase from whey.

Adsorption and immobilization of β-glucosidase from Thermoascus aurantiacus on macroporous cryogel by hydrophobic interaction

Enzyme immobilization has been reported as a promising approach to improving parameters such as thermal stability, pH and reusability. In this study, a polyacrylamide cryogel functionalized with L-phenylalanine was prepared to be used in the adsorption of β-glucosidase from Thermoascus aurantiacus, aiming at its separation and also its immobilization on the cryogel matrix. The enzyme was produced by solid state fermentation. First, the adsorption was studied as a function of the pH and the resulting yield (Y, %) and purification factor (P_F, dimensionless) were determined (1.57-5.13 and 64.19-91.20, respectively). The P_F and yield from eluate samples obtained at pH 3.0 were the highest (5.13 and 91.20, respectively). Then, β-glucosidase was immobilized on the hydrophobic cryogel and the recovery activities (%) were determined as a function of temperature and in the presence of different saline solutions. The values ranged from 14.45 to 45.97. As expected, salt type and ionic strength affected the activity remained in the immobilized β-glucosidase. The average bioreactor activity was 39.9 U/g of dry cryogel and its operational stability was measured, with no decrease in activity being observed during seven cycles. Kinetic parameters of free and immobilized enzyme were determined according to different models.

Reactive Green 5-Decorated Polyacrylamide/Chitosan Cryogel: An Affinity Matrix for Catalase

Acrylamide/chitosan-based cryogel was fabricated, and a triazine dye, Reactive Green 5, was attached to the cryogel by nucleophilic substitution to build a dye affinity support for adsorption of catalase enzyme. Characterization of cryogel was performed using FTIR, SEM, EDX, BET, and swelling test. Synthesized cryogel beared pores with ~ 200 μm in size and the surface area of 11.8 m²/g. Maximum catalase adsorption was (17.6 ± 0.29 mg/g) measured at pH 4.0 and 25 °C. The adsorption sites on the cryogel were saturated at 0.75 mg/mL enzyme concentration. Increased ionic strength caused a decrease in adsorption capacity. Desorption of catalase from cryogel was enabled using 0.5 M NaSCN solution. Consecutive adsorption experiments were carried out fifteen times to evaluate the reusability of the cryogel. Thermal, storage, and operational stabilities of immobilized catalase were higher than the free one. The data produced implicate that catalase-adsorbed dye-affinity cryogel may be used for H₂O₂ detection or removal when necessary. Graphical Abstract.