Effects of cutinase on the enzymatic shrink-resist finishing of wool fabrics

A novel microbial cutinase from Thermobifida fusca WSH04 was applied in the pretreatment of wool fabrics followed by protease treatment, aiming at improving the wettability of the samples by hydrolyzing the outmost bound lipids in the wool surface. Cutinase pretreatment could increase the efficacy of the subsequent protease treatment by improving the wettability, dyeability, and shrink-resistance of the wool fabrics. The data obtained by the XPS method showed the changes of elemental concentration in the wool surface after cutinase pretreatment. Compared with the fabrics treated with hydrogen peroxide and protease, the combination of cutinase and protease treatments produced better results in terms of wettability and shrink-resistance with less strength loss. The anti-felting property of the fabrics treated with the enzymatic resist-shrink technique is very promising to meet the commercial standard.     

Combined use of mild oxidation and cutinase/lipase pretreatments for enzymatic processing of wool fabrics

A cutinase from Thermobifida fusca WSH04 and two lipases, L3126 and Lipex 100L, were applied to the enzymatic pretreatment of wool fabrics followed by protease treatment, aiming at hydrolyzing the outmost bound lipids on the wool surface. A mild oxidation with 2 g/L hydrogen peroxide (30%) was selectively carried out before the enzymatic treatments. The cooperative actions of mild oxidation, cutinase and lipase pretreatments during wool processing were investigated. The results showed that lipase pretreatment alone had less impact on the wettability and anti‐felting ability of wool fabrics than cutinase treatment. Combined use of cutinase and lipase pretreatments did not evidently improve the properties of the wool fabric compared with the individual cutinase pretreatment. By contrast, mild oxidation slightly enhanced the activity of cutinase toward the wool surface and promoted the subsequent proteolytic reactions. The wetting time and contact angle of the protease‐treated fabric deceased to 1.2 min and 55°, respectively; the area shrinkage decreased to 3.1%, with an acceptable strength loss from 489 to 418 N. The changes in the cuticle scales of the wool fibers, confirmed by scanning electron microscopy, further proved the cooperative actions of mild oxidation and cutinase pretreatment during enzymatic wool processing.     

Amino silicones finished fabrics for lipase immobilization: Fabrics finishing and catalytic performance of immobilized lipase

Finishing of silk fabric was achieved by using amino-functional polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and lipase from Candida sp. 99-125 was immobilized on the treated silk fabrics. Hydrophobic fabrics were obtained by dipping the native fabric in 0.125–0.25% (w/v) PDMS solution and dried at 70 °C. The direct adsorption on PDMS-treated fabric was verified to be a better strategy for lipase immobilization than that by covalent binding. Compared to unfinished fabrics, the hydrolytic activity of immobilized enzyme on the finished fabric was improved by 1.6 times. Moreover, the activity of immobilized enzymes on hydrophobic fabrics was significantly improved in different concentrations of strong polar solvents such as methanol and ethanol, and in common organic solvents with different octanol–water partition coefficients (Log P). Enzymatic activity and stability in 15% water content system (added water accounted for the total reaction mixtures, v/v) showed more than 30% improvement in each batch. The amino–silicone finished fabric surface was investigated by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The hydrophobic fabric immobilized enzyme could be recycled for more than 80 times with no significant decrease in esterification activity. PDMS-treated woven silk fabrics could be a potential support for lipase immobilization in catalytic esterification processes.     

Improvement of shrink-resistance and tensile strength of wool fabric treated with a novel microbial transglutaminase from Streptomyces hygroscopicus

In this study, a novel microbial transglutaminase (MTG) from Streptomyces hygroscopicus WSH03-13 was applied in the processing of wool fabrics. The results indicated that MTG treatment could improve felting properties and decrease tensile strength loss of wool fabrics. For the wool fabrics used in this study, MTG treatment following chemical and protease pretreatment led to a 2.32% of area shrinkage and about 16% recovery in tensile strength based on the samples without MTG treatment. Moreover, a traditional resin treatment was compared with the role of MTG. Although the tensile strength of wool fabrics treated by MTG was lower than that treated by resin treatment, the fabrics had similar anti-felting properties, and the chemical oxygen demand of wastewater was only half of the latter.     

Comparative biodegradation of HDPE and LDPE using an indigenously developed microbial consortium

A variety of bacterial strains were isolated from waste disposal sites of Uttaranchal, India, and some from artificially developed soil beds containing maleic anhydride, glucose, and small pieces of polyethylene. Primary screening of isolates was done based on their ability to utilize high- and low-density polyethylenes (HDPE/LDPE) as a primary carbon source. Thereafter, a consortium was developed using potential strains. Furthermore, a biodegradation assay was carried out in 500-ml flasks containing minimal broth (250 ml) and HDPE/ LDPE at 5 mg/ml concentration. After incubation for two weeks, degraded samples were recovered through filtration and subsequent evaporation. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and simultaneous thermogravimetric-differential thermogravimetry-differential thermal analysis TG-DTG-DTA) were used to analyze these samples. Results showed that consortium-treated HDPE (considered to be more inert relative to LDPE) was degraded to a greater extent 22.41% weight loss) in comparison with LDPE (21.70% weight loss), whereas, in the case of untreated samples, weight loss was more for LDPE than HDPE (4.5% and 2.5%, respectively) at 400 degrees . Therefore, this study suggests that polyethylene could be degraded by utilizing microbial consortia in an eco-friendly manner.     

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.     

Comparative study of digestive enzymes of squid (Todarodes pacificus) viscera after supercritical carbon dioxide and organic solvent extraction

Three major classes of digestive enzymes of squid viscera were characterized following extraction of oil by supercritical carbon dioxide (SCO₂) and organic solvent, n-hexane. Squid viscera were extracted at temperature, 35∼45°C and pressure, 15∼25 MPa for 2.5 h by SCO₂ with a constant flow rate of 22 g/min. Oil extraction yield increased with the increasing of extraction pressure and temperature. The highest oil extracted residues of squid viscera were used for characterization of digestive enzymes. The activities of protease, lipase, and amylase were highest in n-hexane treated squid viscera samples and lowest in SCO₂ treated samples. The crude extracts of SCO₂ and n-hexane treated squid viscera samples showed almost same optimum pH and pH stability for each of the digestive enzymes. The optimum temperature of protease, lipase, and amylase were found to almost similar in SCO₂ and n-hexane treated samples. But the thermal stability for each digestive enzyme in SCO₂ treated squid viscera were slightly higher than that of n-hexane treated squid viscera. Studies using SDS-PAGE showed no significant differences in protein patterns of the crude extracts of untreated and SCO₂ and n-hexane treated squid viscera indicating no denaturation of proteins.     

Spray-dried voriconazole–cyclodextrin complexes: Solubility,dissolution rate and chemical stability

The present work investigates the effect of complexation with hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HPBCD) and 2-O-methyl-beta-cyclodextrin (2-O-MBCD), on voriconazole solubility, dissolution rate and chemical stability. Drug–cyclodextrin complexes were prepared as aqueous solutions, which were spray-dried, and their properties were compared to wet ground samples and physical mixtures. DSC analysis revealed absence of crystalline voriconazole from spray-dried complexes. FTIR spectroscopy indicated changes in the H-bonding network of the hydroxyl groups of cyclodextrin following drug inclusion. Dissolution rate of voriconazole was significantly higher from spray-dried complexes with either cyclodextrin in comparison with free drug, physical mixtures, or wet ground mixtures. However, two degradation impurities were found in aged samples, with slightly higher impurity level with HPBCD. Performed solubility studies suggested that 2-O-MBCD is more efficient solubilizer. Molecular docking simulations showed a difference in the 1:1 binding affinities and sites, with HPBCD surprisingly forming complexes of much lower energy, thus suggesting a multiple rather than a 1:1 complexation.     

Application of ATR‐FTIR spectroscopy to the study of thermally induced changes in secondary structure of protein molecules in solid state

FTIR spectroscopy in combination with ATR sampling technique is the most accessible analytical technique to study secondary structure of proteins both in solid and aqueous solution. Although several studies have demonstrated the applications of ATR‐FTIR to study conformational changes of solid dried proteins due to dehydration, there are no reports that demonstrate the application of ATR‐FTIR in the study of thermally induced changes of secondary structure of biomolecules directly on the solid state. In this study, four biomolecules of pharmaceutical interest, lysozyme, myoglobine, chymotripsin and human growth hormone (hGH), were studied on the solid state before and after different thermal treatments in order to relate changes of secondary structure to partial or total thermal denaturation processes. The results obtained provide experimental evidence that protein thermal denaturation in the solid state can be detected by displacement of carbonyl bands which correspond to conformational transformations between α–helix to β‐sheet or intermolecular β‐sheet; the molecules studied undergo this transformation when exposed to a temperature close to their denaturation temperature which may become irreversible depending on the extent of the heating treatment. These findings demonstrate that ATR‐FTIR is an effective and time efficient technique that allows the monitoring of the protein thermal denaturation process of solid samples without further reconstitution or prior sample preparation. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 103: 574–584, 2015.     

Enzyme processing of textiles in reverse micellar solution

Scouring of cotton using pectinase enzyme, bioscouring, in reverse micellar system was studied. The effectiveness of bioscouring was evaluated by measuring weight loss of cotton, analyzing pectin and cotton wax remaining and by wetness testing. Pectinase enzyme showed excellent activity even in organic media, and the effectiveness of scouring was equivalent or better than that achieved by conventional alkaline process or bioscouring in aqueous media. Enzymatic modification of wool using protease enzyme in the same system was also studied. It has found that felting property and tensile strength of wool fabrics treated by protease in reverse micellar system were superior to those in aqueous media. Possibilities of utilization of the same system for the subsequent textile dyeing process were also investigated. It was found that cotton and polyester fabrics were dyed satisfactorily by reverse micellar system compared to conventional aqueous system.     

Influence of mechanical agitation on cutinases and protease activity towards polyamide substrates

Two polyamide 6,6 substrates with different constructions, namely a model substrate and a fabric, were hydrolyzed using native cutinase and L182A cutinase mutant (from Fusarium solani pisi) and a protease (subtilisin from Bacillus sp.). The catalytic efficiency of these enzymes, measured in terms of hydrolysis products release, was measured for both substrates and the protease released five times more amines to the bath treatment. The L182A cutinase mutant showed higher activity when compared with the native enzyme.

All enzymes have shown activity additive effects with higher levels of mechanical agitation for polyamide fabrics. The results achieved are of paramount importance on the design of a process of enzymatic functionalization of polyamide.     

盐度对花鳗鲡和太平洋双色鳗鲡幼鳗生长性能及消化酶活力的影响

文章研究了不同盐度对花鳗鲡(Anguilla marmorata)幼鳗和太平洋双色鳗鲡(A. bicolor pacifica)幼鳗生长性能及消化酶活力的影响。将花鳗鲡幼鳗(9.760.36) g和太平洋双色鳗鲡幼鳗(11.820.04) g分别在淡水(盐度0)与盐度5、10、18水体中养殖30d, 测量每组实验鱼总重后检测胃、肠道和肝脏蛋白酶、淀粉酶和脂肪酶的活力。结果表明, 花鳗鲡和太平洋双色鳗鲡在各盐度处理中存活率均为100%, 未出现死亡。两种鳗鲡在淡水中生长良好, 特定生长率最高, 而饵料系数最低。盐度对花鳗鲡幼鳗和太平洋双色鳗鲡幼鳗消化酶活力的影响存在差异, 其中花鳗鲡胃、肠道和肝脏蛋白酶活力在各盐度处理中均无显著变化(P0.05), 淀粉酶和脂肪酶活力均随盐度的增加而下降; 太平洋双色鳗鲡胃蛋白酶活力在盐度10时最大, 肝蛋白酶活力在盐度18时最大, 而淀粉酶和脂肪酶活力在各盐度处理组无显著变化(P0.05)。这表明盐度对花鳗鲡胃、肠道和肝脏的淀粉酶和脂肪酶活力具有抑制作用, 对太平洋双色鳗鲡的蛋白酶活力有一定的激活作用。在相同盐度条件下, 不同消化器官中同种消化酶活力存在差异, 各盐度的两种鳗鲡肠道中淀粉酶和脂肪酶的活力均显著高于肝脏和胃(P0.05), 胃中蛋白酶活力高于肝脏和肠道, 但不显著(P0.05)。研究发现两种鳗鲡体内脂肪酶活力相对较高, 表明其对脂肪具有较强的消化能力。建议在配制花鳗鲡幼鳗和太平洋双色鳗鲡幼鳗饲料时, 适当提高粗脂肪比例, 有助于促进对营养物质的消化吸收, 提高养殖效益。       

Variables that Affect Immobilization of Mucor Miehei Lipase on Nylon Membrane

Nylon membrane was used to immobilize Mucor miehei lipase. Variables that affect this immobilization procedure were studied by experimental design. A 2³ full factorial design was employed for this purpose. The protein retention and hydrolytic activity of the immobilized lipase were used as response variables. The rapid loss of enzyme activity was the main problem during repetitive use. Two strategies were used to improve the low operational stability: nylon treated with HCl and nylon coated with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). Lipase-nylon-PVA was the best enzyme derivative, allowing performance of five consecutive assays, with a retained activity of 0.5 U mg of protein⁻¹ g of support⁻¹.     

Synthesis and characterization of cyclodextrin-based polymers as a support for immobilization of Candida rugosa lipase

The objective of this study was to prepare cross-linked β-cyclodextrin polymers for immobilization of Candida rugosa lipase. The structures of synthesized macrocyclic compounds were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) techniques. Properties of the immobilized systems were assessed and their performance on hydrolytic reaction were evaluated and compared with the free enzyme. The influence of activation agents (glutaraldehyde (GA) and hexamethylene diisocyanate (HMDI)) and thermal and pH stabilities of the biocatalyst was evaluated. After the optimization of immobilization process, the physical and chemical characterization of immobilized lipase was performed. Obtained data showed that the immobilized enzyme seemed better and offered some advantages in comparison with free enzyme. It can be observed that the free lipase loses its initial activity within around 80 min at 60 °C, while the immobilized lipases retain their initial activities of about 56% by HMDI and 82% by GA after 120 min of heat treatment at 60 °C.Results showed that the specific activity of the immobilized lipase with glutaraldehyde was 62.75 U/mg protein, which is 28.13 times higher than that of the immobilized lipase with HMDI.     

Use of protease produced byBacillus sp. SJ-121 for improvement of dyeing quality in wool and silk

In this study, a microorganism-produced protease was used to improve the quality of fabrics. First, the protease-producing bacteria were isolated from soils, and one of them was selected and identified asBacillus sp. SJ-121. The optimal medium composition for its growth and protease production was determined to be as follows: glucose 1 g/L, soybean meal 0.5 g/L, soy peptone 0.5, K₂HPO₄ 0.2, MgSO₄·7H₂O 0.002, Nacl 0.002, and Na₂CO₃ g/L. Also, the optimal temperature for the production of the protease byBacillus sp. SJ-121 was about 40°C at pH 7. The wool and silk were treated with the protease fromBacillus sp. SJ-121. Follwoing the protease treatment, changes in the surface of a single yarm of the fabrics were observed by both an optical microscope and a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Changes in the K/S value of the wool and silk were measured by spectrophotometric analysis, in order to determine the amount of dye uptake in the fabrics. We also performed a tensile strength examination in order to determine the degree and nature of mechanical changes in single yarns of the wool and silk fabrics. By increasing the protease treatment time to 48h, the dyeing characteritics of the fabrics were enhanced, and the surfaces of the single yarns of the fabrics became smoother, due to the removal of soil and scale in them. However, no mechanical changes were detected in the fabrics. Therefore, we suggest that proper treatment of the protease produced byBacillus sp. can improve the quality of silk and wool.     

Wool-degrading <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus</Emphasis> isolates: extracellular protease production for microbial processing of fabrics

Wool is a natural animal fiber commonly used in fabrics, but requires physical and chemical processing treatment for such applications. With the aim of developing new woollen textile products using environmentally friendly treatments, proteolytic bacteria were isolated from raw wool samples of Merino sheep and screened for wool-degrading activity. Two isolates were identified as Bacillus megaterium L4 and Bacillus thuringiensis L11 by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. Both isolates grew on a minimal medium using wool-fiber or wool-fabric as sole carbon and nitrogen sources. Bacterial growth was correlated with extracellular protease activity, and maximal protease production was in early stationary phase. The exoprotease produced by L11 was found to be a thermo-tolerant metalloprotease stabilized by calcium or magnesium, and had optimum activity at pH 7.0 and temperature at 40°C. During bacterial growth the wool-fiber lost weight, but it did not show changes in diameter. When wool-fabric was used instead of wool-fiber weight loss and non-shrinking was found. These are encouraging results for textile processing that should be useful for development of new textile products by direct microbial processing. A potential alternative that could be suggested from our study would be to treat wool with wool-degrading microorganisms in order to develop environmentally friendly processes.     

Purification and partial characterization of a protease associated with photosystem II particles

A protease was extracted with 1 M NaCl from spinach ( Spinacia oleracea L.) photosystem II (PSII) particles and purified through gel filtration and anion-exchange chromatography. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the protease revealed a polypeptide with a molecular mass of 43 kDa. The activity of the purified protease was assayed using a 24 kDa water-soluble protein as substrate, visualized through SDS-PAGE. The protease even remained active in the presence of 0.1 and 0.2 M NaCl, although the degradation pattern changed, which indicated that the protease was different from that reported earlier by another group. The presence of 0.3 M NaCl was shown to be inhibitory. The protease was inhibited by 1,10-phenanthroline and EGTA-NaOH (pH 7.0), indicating that the metal ions are essential for activity and that the enzyme is a metal-protease. FTIR spectroscopy was used to examine the conformationally sensitive amide I' bands of the protease. The protease was observed to undergo spectroscopic changes that reflect the conformational changes that take place when Ca²⁺ is bound, which further confirms that the protease is a metal-protease.     

Antimicrobial and chemical detoxifying functions of cotton fabrics containing different benzophenone derivatives

Several benzophenone chromophoric groups were incorporated onto cotton fabrics by using 4-hydroxybenzophenone, 4,4′-dihydroxybenzophenone, 4-chloro-4′-hydroxybenzophenone, and 4-benzoylbenzoic acid as reagents. The fabric treatment was conducted by a pad-dry-cure method, and the benzophenone chromophoric group incorporated cotton fabrics were characterized and confirmed by FTIR. Tensile strengths of benzophenone chromophoric groups modified cotton fabrics were also measured. 4-Hydroxybenzophenone treated cotton fabric showed the most powerful antibacterial activity among all samples, and 4-benzoylbenzoic acid treated cotton fabric demonstrated pesticide degradation ability, under UV irradiation.     

Conformational changes of enzymes adsorbed at liquid-solid interface: relevance to enzymatic activity

FTIR with attenuated total reflectance spectroscopy was used to study in situ adsorption of enzymes at water-solid interfaces to better understand how conformational changes may monitor enzymatic activity. Because the adsorption process depends on hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions, conformational changes were studied as a function of the nature of the adsorbing substrates, which are hydrophobic or hydrophilic in character. The adsorption kinetics of two examples of serine enzymes, alpha-chymotrypsin (alpha-chym) and Humicola lanuginosa lipase (HLL), were studied. The secondary structure and solvation of the adsorbed enzymes were both compared to the dissolved enzymes. The positively charged alpha-chym was adsorbed on a negatively charged hydrophilic support with minor structural changes, but the negatively charged lipase had no affinity for a similar support. Both enzymes were strongly retained on the hydrophobic support. The secondary and tertiary structures of the alpha-chym adsorbed on the hydrophobic support were strongly altered, which correlates to the inhibition of enzymatic hydrolysis. The specific solvation obtained for the adsorbed HLL is consistent with the existence of the open conformer in relation to the enhanced enzymatic activity at the water-hydrophobic interface.     

Simultaneous protease and transglutaminase treatment for shrink resistance of wool

A bioprocess for machine washable wool, combining the advantages of both protease and transglutaminase in a simultaneous enzymatic treatment has been developed. This process reduced the felting tendency of woven wool fabrics by 9% at the expense of only 2% weight and tensile strength loss. In contrast to previously described protease-based processes for shrink resistant wool, the anti-felting properties achieved in the simultaneous enzymatic treatment produced insignificant fibre damage, confirmed also by scanning electron images of the fabrics.