Abstract

AbstractThe enzyme pepsin (E.C. 3.4.23.1, strength ≥400 μ/mg) was immobilized in poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) nanofibers for the first time by the electrospinning technique. The morphology of the nanofibers analyzed by SEM showed a diameter in the nanometric range of 70–165 nm. The presence of pepsin in the nanofibrous matrix was proved by infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The immobilization process was carried out through crosslinking by exposure to glutaraldehyde (GA) vapor. The thermal analysis by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) showed the effect of crosslinking time and enzyme concentration on the glass transition temperature (Tg) and heat of fusion (Hf) of the nanofibrous matrix. The optimum catalytic performance of the immobilized pepsin was reached at pH 3, 1 h of crosslinking and 25% of enzyme concentration. The enzymatic activity of immobilized pepsin reached 96% of the crude enzyme. The immobilization process allowed 4 cycles of reuse and up to 10 days of storage for the crosslinked samples. PVA nanofibers was successfully used as vehicle for the encapsulation and immobilization of the pepsin enzyme.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.