Hydrogel for Enzyme Immobilization

Enzymes play a crucial role as biocatalysts in the food industry, offering diverse applications. The immobilization of enzymes onto insoluble carriers is of paramount importance. Hydrogels, a specific category of soft and moist materials, offer an ideal three-dimensional platform for localized containment of bioactive guests like enzymes, facilitating molecular-level biological interactions.

Introduction to Enzyme Immobilization

Enzymes are highly efficient catalysts naturally occurring in biological systems, regulating a diverse range of reactions. Due to their exceptional efficiency, specificity, selectivity, and ability to facilitate processes following the principles of Green Chemistry, enzymes find extensive applications across various industries, particularly in the food industry and biotechnological sectors. To address limitations such as low reusability, operational instability, and high costs associated with enzyme application, it is crucial to immobilize them on insoluble carriers. The activity of the immobilized enzyme is significantly influenced by its immobility and carrier selection.

Fig. 1 The different enzymes which can be immobilized on hydrogels. (Yavari Maroufi L, et al., 2022)

Enzyme Immobilization Methods

The immobilization of enzymes can be achieved through various methods, which are generally categorized into two types: physical and chemical approaches. In the former, a weak interaction occurs between the enzyme and the carrier substance, whereas in the latter, a strong interaction is established due to the presence of covalent bonds.

Fig. 2 Different enzyme immobilization methods. (Yavari Maroufi L, et al., 2022)

The Utilization of Hydrogel for Enzyme Immobilization

The utilization of hydrogels with three-dimensional porous structures and versatile functional groups holds great promise for the immobilization of enzymes. The mobilization process typically enhances the stability of the enzyme structure, enabling the hydrogels to be utilized in challenging environmental conditions such as varying pH levels, extreme temperatures, and the presence of organic solvents. The hydrogel carrier matrix possesses the following properties.

• Hydrogels for Enzyme Entrapment and Encapsulation
  When an enzyme is trapped within a matrix, it is known as encapsulation. Encapsulation offers benefits in that it does not require any chemical modification of the enzyme. Hydrogels, which have a hydrophilic nature and a highly porous polymer network, are considered to be the best framework for this approach. The encapsulation of lactase enzyme in carrageenan, chitosan, alginate, and pectin-based hydrogels has demonstrated enhanced enzymatic activity and stability under varying temperature and pH conditions.

Fig. 3 Hydrogel for Enzyme Immobilization. (Wu H, et al., 2023)

• Hydrogels for Enzyme Adsorption
  Adsorption immobilization is a physical technique that relies on non-covalent interactions. The physical adsorption of lipolytica lipase onto octyl-agarose and octadecyl-sepa hydrogel beads has been found to offer several advantages over free lipase, including improved stability, higher yields, better process control, and cost-effectiveness. These benefits can be primarily attributed to the hydrophobic properties of the octadecyl-sepa beads, which enhance the interaction between the enzyme and support.
• Hydrogels for Enzyme Covalent Attachment and Cross-linking
  The enzyme and hydrogel matrix establish covalent bonds using side-chain amino acids such as histidine, arginine, and aspartic acid for cross-linking purposes. This bonding mechanism effectively prevents enzyme leakage while enhancing the stability and reusability of enzymes.

The Hydrogel Development Services We Provide

Are you interested in hydrogel for enzyme immobilization? Matexcel provides high-quality natural hydrogel development services, and synthetic hydrogel development services. Please feel free to contact us for further information.

References

1. Wu H.; Zheng B. Hydrogel-Based Multi-enzymatic System for Biosynthesis. Adv Biochem Eng Biotechnol. 2023;186:51-76.
2. Yavari Maroufi L.; et al. Recent Advances of Macromolecular Hydrogels for Enzyme Immobilization in the Food Products. Adv Pharm Bull. 2022 Mar;12(2):309-318.