Scalable manufacturing of enzyme loaded alginate particles with excellent thermal and storage stability for industrial applications

Abstract

Enzymes are important biocatalysts for various industries due to their efficiency, selectivity, and environmental sustainability. However, the application of enzymes is severely hampered because of their low thermal stability during synthesis and operation. To improve the thermal stability of enzymes, we develop a scalable encapsulation technology using an alginate-enzyme colloidal system. An industrial pelleting process was applied as a model heating process to assess the thermal stability of the encapsulated enzyme, through which the excellent enzyme thermal stability was confirmed. Furthermore, a lab-scale enzyme thermal stability evaluation method was developed to accurately simulate the pelleting process, enabling a fast and reliable characterization of enzyme thermal stability in a much smaller scale, saving a great deal of time and cost. Moreover, the excellent product properties including good thermal stability and storage stability were maintained after an initial scale-up. This study offers an effective strategy for the industrial-scale manufacturing of enzyme loaded alginate particles with high thermal and storage stability.