Interfacial Biocatalytic Performance of Nanofiber-Supported β-Galactosidase for Production of Galacto-Oligosaccharides

• Published in: Catalysts Vol. 10; no. 1; p. 81
• Main Authors: Misson, Mailin, Jin, Bo, Dai, Sheng, Zhang, Hu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01.01.2020
• Subjects: Assembly; Catalysts; Catalytic activity; Chemical reactions; conformational change; Enzymes; Fluorescein; Fluorescence; Galactosidase; Immobilization; interfacial characterization; interfacial reaction; Lactose; nanobiocatalyst; Nanofibers; Nanomaterials; Nanoparticles; Nanostructured materials; Oligosaccharides; polymer nanofibers; Polystyrene resins; Proteins; Residence time distribution; Substrates; β-galactosidase
• ISSN: 2073-4344; 2073-4344
• DOI: 10.3390/catal10010081

Molecular distribution, structural conformation and catalytic activity at the interface between enzyme and its immobilising support are vital in the enzymatic reactions for producing bioproducts. In this study, a nanobiocatalyst assembly, β-galactosidase immobilized on chemically modified electrospun polystyrene nanofibers (PSNF), was synthesized for converting lactose into galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS). Characterization results using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and fluorescence analysis of fluorescein isothiocyanat (FITC) labelled β-galactosidase revealed homogenous enzyme immobilization, thin layer structural conformation and biochemical functionalities of the nanobiocatalyst assembly. The β-galactosidase/PSNF assembly displayed enhanced enzyme catalytic performance at a residence time of around 1 min in a disc-stacked column reactor. A GOS yield of 41% and a lactose conversion of 88% was achieved at the initial lactose concentration of 300 g/L at this residence time. This system provided a controllable contact time of products and substrates on the nanofiber surface and could be used for products which are sensitive to the duration of nanobiocatalysis.