Production of cutinase from Fusarium falciforme and its application for hydrophilicity improvement of polyethylene terephthalate fabric

Among 23 isolates of cutinase-producing fungi from Thailand, one strain of Fusarium falciforme PBURU-T5 exhibited the greatest cutinase activity (3.36 ± 0.12 U ml^-1) against p-nitrophenyl butyrate. This strain was found to produce an inducible cutinase when cultivated in the liquid mineral medium containing cutin from papaya peel as the sole carbon source. By optimizing the production condition based on the central composite experimental design, the maximal cutinase activity up to 4.82 ± 0.18 U ml^-1 was attained under the condition: 0.4% (w/v) papaya cutin as the carbon source, 0.3% (w/v) peptone as the nitrogen source, incubation temperature at 30 °C for 4 days, and initial pH 7.0. The crude enzyme was optimally active at 35 °C and pH 9.0 which was suitable for textile industrial application. The treatment with the crude PBURU-T5 cutinase (100 U g^-1 dry weight of fabric) could enhance the wetting time, water adsorption and moisture regain of polyethylene terephthalate fabric up to 1.9-, 1.2- and 1.3-fold, respectively, comparing with the conventional 1M NaOH treatment. The increment of these fabric properties by enzymatic treatment could facilitate the dyeing process and enhance the fabric softness. Thus, F. falciforme PBURU-T5 is the promising source of cutinase for the modification of the PET fabric surface.

Screening of tropical fungi producing polyethylene terephthalate-hydrolyzing enzyme for fabric modification

Microfungi were selectively isolated for production of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fiber-degrading enzymes potentially to be used to modify the surface of polyester fabric. A range of fungi were isolated from plant surfaces and soil samples using a polycaprolactone (PCL) plate-clearing assay technique, and screened for cutinolytic esterase (cutinase) activity. Twenty-two of 115 isolates showed clearing indicating the production of cutinase. The ability of the fungi to produce cutinase in mineral medium (MM) using either potato suberin or PET (1 cm of untreated pre-washed PET fiber) fiber as substrates was assessed based on the hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl butyrate (p-NPB). All isolates exhibited activity towards p-NPB, isolate PBURU-B5 giving the highest activity with PET fiber as an inducer. PBURU-B5 was identified as Fusarium solani based on its conidial morphology and also nucleotide sequencing from internal transcribed spacer region of the ribosomal RNA gene (rDNA-ITS). Enzymatic modification of PET cloth material properties using crude enzyme from strain PBURU-B5 showed hydrolysis of ester bonds of the PET fiber. The modification of the PET fabric resulted in increase of water and moisture absorption, and general enhancement of hydrophilicity of the fabric, properties that could facilitate processing of fabric ranging from easier dyeing while also yielding a softer feeling fabric for the user.

Analysis of the products from enzymatic scouring of cotton

This article discusses the analysis of the hydrolysis products from one-step scouring of cotton using pectinase and two-step scouring of cotton using lipase then cellulase, protease then cellulase, or lipase/protease then cellulase, to improve water absorbency of cotton. UV spectrophotometric analysis indicated that the pectinase scouring process produced approximately 18-fold higher amounts of reducing sugars and galacturonic acid than any of the two-step scouring processes. The production rate of reducing sugars and galacturonic acid from most of the scouring processes showed a decrease with an increase in time. HPLC analysis revealed that the lipase/protease/cellulase scouring processes produced approximately 5-fold higher amounts of 17 amino acids than the pectinase scouring process. GC analysis for 18 fatty acids (C(8)-C(24)) revealed that three major fatty acids, palmitic acid, stearic acid, and behenic acid, were found on both the scoured and the unscoured fabrics. Scoured fabrics were tested for content of proteins, extractable components, waxes, and anionic components including pectins, and some differences among the fabric scoured with different enzyme combinations were found.