Desulfurization with <Emphasis Type="Italic">Thialkalivibrio versutus</Emphasis> immobilized on magnetic nanoparticles modified with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane

Objective

Thialkalivibrio versutus D301 cells were immobilized on Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles (NPs) synthesized by an improved chemical coprecipitation method and modified with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES), then the immobilized cells were used in sulfur oxidation.

Results

The prepared Fe₃O₄–APTES NPs had a narrow size distribution (10 ± 2 nm) and were superparamagnetic, with a saturation magnetization of 60.69 emu/g. Immobilized cells had a saturation magnetization of 34.95 emu/g and retained superparamagnetism. The optimum conditions for cell immobilization were obtained at pH 9.5 and 1 M Na⁺. The immobilization capacity of Fe₃O₄–APTES NPs was 7.15 g DCW/g-NPs that was 2.3-fold higher than that of Fe₃O₄ NPs. The desulfurization efficiency of the immobilized cells was close to 100%, having the same sulfur oxidation capacity as free cells. Further, the immobilized cells could be reused at least eight times, retaining more than 85% of their desulfurization efficiency.

Conclusion

Immobilization of cells with the modified magnetic NPs efficiently increased cell controllability, have no effect on their desulfurization activity and could be effectively used in large-scale industrial applications.

     

Novel and efficient method for immobilization and stabilization of β-d-galactosidase by covalent attachment onto magnetic Fe3O4–chitosan nanoparticles

A novel and efficient immobilization of β-d-galactosidase from Aspergillus oryzae has been developed by using magnetic Fe₃O₄–chitosan (Fe₃O₄–CS) nanoparticles as support. The magnetic Fe₃O₄–CS nanoparticles were prepared by electrostatic adsorption of chitosan onto the surface of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles made through co-precipitation of Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺. The resultant material was characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, vibrating sample magnetometry and thermogravimetric analysis. β-d-Galactosidase was covalently immobilized onto the nanocomposites using glutaraldehyde as activating agent. The immobilization process was optimized by examining immobilized time, cross-linking time, enzyme concentration, glutaraldehyde concentration, the initial pH values of glutaraldehyde and the enzyme solution. As a result, the immobilized enzyme presented a higher storage, pH and thermal stability than the soluble enzyme. Galactooligosaccharide was formed with lactose as substrate by using the immobilized enzyme as biocatalyst, and a maximum yield of 15.5% (w/v) was achieved when about 50% lactose was hydrolyzed. Hence, the magnetic Fe₃O₄–chitosan nanoparticles are proved to be an effective support for the immobilization of β-d-galactosidase.     

Application and characterization of magnetic chitosan microspheres for enhanced immobilization of cellulase

In this study, a unique carrier magnetic chitosan microspheres (MCTS) was simply synthesized by anchoring Fe₃O₄ onto chitosan for direct immobilization of cellulases cross-linked by gluteraldehye. The structure and morphology were characterized using FT-IR, TGA, VSM and SEM. The optimum immobilization conditions were investigated: immobilized pH 7.0, amount of enzyme 15?mL (0.1?mg/mL), immobilization temperature 30?°C, immobilization time 5?h. At optimum conditions, MCTS achieved maximum enzyme solid loading rate of 73.5?mg/g, while recovery of enzyme activity approached to 71.6%. In the recycle test, immobilized cellulases operated without significant loss in its initial performances after 3 cycles, which indicated that immobilized cellulases can be regenerated and reused. The immobilized enzyme has better values of thermal and storage stability than that of free enzyme. Therefore, MCTS may be considered as a candidate with potential value of application in large-scale operations for cellulases immobilization.     

Rhus vernicifera Laccase Immobilization on Magnetic Nanoparticles to Improve Stability and Its Potential Application in Bisphenol A Degradation

In the present study, Rhus vernicifera laccase (RvLac) was immobilized through covalent methods on the magnetic nanoparticles. Fe₂O₃ and Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles activated by 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane followed with glutaraldehyde showed maximum immobilization yields and relative activity up to 81.4 and 84.3% at optimum incubation and pH of 18 h and 5.8, respectively. The maximum RvLac loading of 156 mg/g of support was recorded on Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles. A higher optimum pH and temperature of 4.0 and 45 °C were noted for immobilized enzyme compared to values of 3.5 and 40 °C for free form, respectively. Immobilized RvLac exhibited better relative activity profiles at various pH and temperature ranges. The immobilized enzyme showed up to 16-fold improvement in the thermal stability, when incubated at 60 °C, and retained up to 82.9% of residual activity after ten cycles of reuses. Immobilized RvLac exhibited up to 1.9-fold higher bisphenol A degradation efficiency potential over free enzyme. Previous reports have demonstrated the immobilization of RvLac on non-magnetic supports. This study has demonstrated that immobilization of RvLac on magnetic nanoparticles is very efficient especially for achieving high loading, better pH and temperature profiles, and thermal- and solvents-stability, high reusability, and higher degradation of bisphenol A.     

Improving of Catalase Stability Properties by Encapsulation in Alginate/Fe3O4 Magnetic Composite Beads for Enzymatic Removal of H2O2

The aim of this study was enhancing of stability properties of catalase enzyme by encapsulation in alginate/nanomagnetic beads. Amounts of carrier (10–100 mg) and enzyme concentrations (0.25–1.5 mg/mL) were analyzed to optimize immobilization conditions. Also, the optimum temperature (25–50°C), optimum pH (3.0–8.0), kinetic parameters, thermal stability (20–70°C), pH stability (4.0–9.0) operational stability (0–390 min), and reusability were investigated for characterization of the immobilized catalase system. The optimum pH levels of both free and immobilized catalase were 7.0. At the thermal stability studies, the magnetic catalase beads protected 90% activity, while free catalase maintained only 10% activity at 70°C. The thermal profile of magnetic catalase beads was spread over a large area. Similarly, this system indicated the improving of the pH stability. The reusability, which is especially important for industrial applications, was also determined. Thus, the activity analysis was done 50 times in succession. Catalase encapsulated magnetic alginate beads protected 83% activity after 50 cycles.     

Optimum conditions for lipase immobilization on chitosan-coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles

Magnetic Fe₃O₄-chitosan nanoparticles are prepared by the coagulation of an aqueous solution of chitosan with Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles. The characterization of Fe₃O₄-chitosan is analyzed by FTIR, FESEM, and SQUID magnetometry. The Fe₃O₄-chitosan nanoparticles are used for the covalent immobilization of lipase from Candida rugosa using N-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-N′-ethylcarbodiimide (EDC) and N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) as coupling agents. The response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to search the optimal immobilization conditions and understand the significance of the factors affecting the immobilized lipase activity. Based on the ridge max analysis, the optimum immobilization conditions were immobilization time 2.14 h, pH 6.37, and enzyme/support ratio 0.73 (w/w); the highest activity obtained was 20 U/g Fe₃O₄-chitosan. After twenty repeated uses, the immobilized lipase retains over 83% of its original activity. The immobilized lipase shows better operational stability, including wider thermal and pH ranges, and remains stable after 13 days of storage at 25 °C.     

Immobilized CALB Catalyzed Transesterification of Soybean Oil and Phytosterol

Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB) was immobilized on Fe₃O₄/SiO_x-g-P(GMA) polymer carrier to catalyzed the transesterification of soybean oil and phytosterol. The enzyme loading of the obtained particles was 98.7 mg/g supports and the enzyme activity was 1226.5 U/g. The average particle size was 100.5?±?1.30 nm and the magnetization was 15.80 emu/g. The immobilized enzyme showed higher activities at a wider range of pH and temperatures. Its optimum reaction temperature was up to 50 °C; increased by 5 °C compared to the free enzyme. The obtained magnetic immobilized Fe₃O₄/SiO_x-g-P(GMA) lipase was nanoscale. First-grade soybean oils were used as a substrate. System pH was adjusted to 7.0. The optimal reaction temperature was 50 °C and the reaction time was 3 h. The phytosterol concentration of 5% and immobilized CALB of 2% were obtained. The conversion rate of transesterification reaction between soybean oil and phytosterol was 86.2%. The use of magnets can quickly separate the immobilized enzymes from the substrates. The relative activity of the immobilized enzymes was 83.0% when reused seven times. The prepared immobilized CALB can improve efficiently enzyme activity and reutilization.     

Preparation and characterization of amino and carboxyl functionalized core-shell Fe3O4/SiO2 for L-asparaginase immobilization: A comparison study

Abstract

Magnetic nanoparticles are well known as facile and effective support for enzyme immobilization since they have a high surface area, large surface-to-volume ratio, easy separation, a fast and high enzyme loading. This study aims to provide insights on whether acidic or basic modified particles are more effective for L-asparaginase (ASNase) immobilization. Therefore, amino (Fe₃O₄/SiO₂/NH₂) and carboxyl-functionalized (Fe₃O₄/SiO₂/COOH) particles were prepared. The functional groups, crystalline structure, magnetic properties, morphology, chemical composition and thermal behaviour of the prepared modified nanoparticles were examined via Fourier-transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), vibrating-sample magnetometer (VSM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDAX). Under the optimum conditions, the immobilized enzymes were more stable within a certain range of temperatures and pH values in comparison to free enzyme. On the other hand, the immobilized enzymes showed greater stability after incubation for 3?h at 50?°C. The free enzyme maintained only 30% of its initial activity for 4?weeks at 4?°C, while Fe₃O₄/SiO₂/NH₂/ASNase and Fe₃O₄/SiO₂/COOH/ASNase retained more than 78.9% and 56.5% of initial activities under the same conditions, respectively. Moreover, Fe₃O₄/SiO₂/NH₂/ASNase (77.2%) and Fe₃O₄/SiO₂/COOH/ASNase (57.4%) displayed excellent operational stability after 17 repeated cycles. These findings suggested that the Fe₃O₄/SiO₂/NH₂ and Fe₃O₄/SiO₂/COOH may be utilized as efficient and sustainable supports to developed immobilized ASNase in several biotechnological applications.     

Reversible immobilization of glucoamylase onto magnetic chitosan nanocarriers

A simple preparation process for the monodispersed pH-sensitive core-shell magnetic microspheres was carried out consisting of chitosan self-assembled on magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles. Meanwhile, glucoamylase was immobilized as a model enzyme on this carrier of Fe₃O₄/CS microspheres by ionic adsorption. The morphology, inner structure, and high magnetic sensitivity of the resulting magnetic chitosan microspheres were studied, respectively, with a field emission scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), FT-IR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). Subsequently, the properties of glucoamylase immobilized on the regenerated supports were also investigated by determining storage stability, pH stability, reusability, magnetic response, and regeneration of supports. The results from characterization and determination remarkably indicated that the immobilized glucoamylase obtained presents excellent storage stability, pH stability, reusability, magnetic response, and regeneration of supports. Therefore, this kind of magnetic Fe₃O₄/CS microspheres with perfect monodispersity should be an ideal support for enzyme immobilization.     

H<Subscript>2</Subscript>S biotreatment with sulfide-oxidizing heterotrophic bacteria

Many industrial activities produce H₂S, which is toxic at high levels and odorous at even very low levels. Chemolithotrophic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria are often used in its remediation. Recently, we have reported that many heterotrophic bacteria can use sulfide:quinone oxidoreductase and persulfide dioxygenase to oxidize H₂S to thiosulfate and sulfite. These bacteria may also potentially be used in H₂S biotreatment. Here we report how various heterotrophic bacteria with these enzymes were cultured with organic compounds and the cells were able to rapidly oxidize H₂S to zero-valence sulfur and thiosulfate, causing no apparent acidification. Some also converted the produced thiosulfate to tetrathionate. The rates of sulfide oxidation by some of the tested bacteria in suspension, ranging from 8 to 50 µmol min^?1 g^?1 of cell dry weight at pH 7.4, sufficient for H₂S biotreatment. The immobilized bacteria removed H₂S as efficiently as the bacteria in suspension, and the inclusion of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles during immobilization resulted in increased efficiency for sulfide removal, in part due to chemical oxidation H₂S by Fe₃O₄. Thus, heterotrophic bacteria may be used for H₂S biotreatment under aerobic conditions.     

Immobilization of glucose oxidase and lactate dehydrogenase onto magnetic nanoparticles for bioprocess monitoring system

Glucose oxidase (GOD) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were immobilized onto magnetic nanoparticles, viz. Fe₃O₄, via carbodiimide and glutaraldehyde. The immobilization efficiency was largely dependent upon the immobilization time and concentration of glutaraldehyde. The magnetic nanoparticles had a mean diameter of 9.3 nm and were superparamagnetic. The immobilization of GOD and LDH on the nanoparticles slightly decreased their saturation magnetization. However, the FT-IR spectra showed that GOD and LDH were immobilized onto the nanoparticles by different binding mechanisms, the reason for which was not well explained. The optimum pH values of the immobilized GOD and LDH were changed to 8 and 10, respectively. The free and immobilized enzyme kinetic parameters (K_m and V_max) were determined by Michaelis-Menten enzyme kinetics. The Km values for free and immobilized GOD were 0.168 and 0.324 mM, respectively, while those for free and immobilized LDH were 0.19 and 0.163 mM for NAD, and 2.976 and 4.785 mM for lactate, respectively. High operational stability was observed, with more than 80% of the initial enzyme activity being retained for the immobilized GOD up to 12 h and for the immobilized LDH up to 24 h. The immobilized GOD was applied to a sequential injection analysis system for the application of bioprocess monitoring.     

Immobilized catalase-containing yeast cells: Preparation and enzymatic properties

The cell of Saccharomyces cerevisiae previously induced for catalase (EC 1.11.1.6) activity were immobilized by entrapment of intact cells in acrylamide polymerized by γ irradiation (100 kR). Yeast cells showed an enhancement in catalase activity on entrapment, an effect similar to that observed on treatment with organic solvents like toluene. The cells pretreated with toluene, however, showed complete loss of catalase activity on entrapment. The entrapped enzyme exhibited a narrow pH optimum, reduced K_m for H₂O₂, and a decrease in thermostability. The temperature optimum of catalase was also decreased from 60 to 40°C on immobilization. A tenfold decrease in the activation energy was also observed. The enzyme in the entrapped cells was, however, stable toward inactivation by γ irradiation. Unlike the intact cells, the entrapped yeast cells did not have the ability to induce catalase.     

Enhanced biodegradation of phenol by magnetically immobilized <Emphasis Type="Italic">Trichosporon cutaneum</Emphasis>

Aromatic compounds are abundant in aqueous environments due to natural resources or different manufacturer’s wastewaters. In this study, phenol degradation by the yeast, Trichosporon cutaneum ADH8 was compared in three forms namely: free cells, nonmagnetic immobilized cells (non-MICs), and magnetically immobilized cells (MICs). In addition, three different common immobilization supports (alginate, agar, and polyurethane foams) were used for cell stabilization in both non-MICs and MICs and the efficiency of phenol degradation using free yeast cells, non-MICs, and MICs for ten consecutive cycles were studied. In this study, MICs on alginate beads by 12 g/l Fe₂O₃ magnetic nanoparticles had the best efficiency in phenol degradation (82.49%) and this amount in the seventh cycle of degradation increased to 95.65% which was the highest degradation level. Then, the effect of magnetic and nonmagnetic immobilization on increasing the stability of the cells to alkaline, acidic, and saline conditions was investigated. Based on the results, MICs and non-MICs retained their capability of phenol degradation in high salinity (15 g/l) and acidity (pH 5) conditions which indicating the high stability of immobilized cells to those conditions. These results support the effectiveness of magnetic immobilized biocatalysts and propose a promising method for improving the performance of biocatalysts and its reuse ability in the degradation of phenol and other toxic compounds. Moreover, increasing the resistance of biocatalysts to extreme conditions significantly reduces costs of the bioremediation process.     

Cloning and Characterization of Catalases from Rice,Oryza sativa L.

Catalase is the major H₂O₂-scavenging enzyme in all aerobic organisms. From the cDNA sequences of three rice (Oryza sativa L.) genes that encode for predicted catalases (OsCatA, OsCatB, and OsCatC), complete ORFs were subcloned into pET21a and expressed as (His)₆-tagged proteins in Escherichia coli. The recombinant (His)₆-polypeptides were enriched to apparent homogeneity and characterized. With H₂O₂ as substrate, the highest catalase k _cat value (20±1.71×10^?3 min^?1) was found in recombinant OsCatB. The optimum temperatures for catalase activity were 30 °C for OsCatA and OsCatC and 25 °C for OsCatB, while the pH optima were 8.0, 7.5, and 7.0 for OsCatA, OsCatB, and OsCatC respectively. All the catalases were inhibited by sodium azide, β-mercaptoethanol, and potassium cyanide, but only weakly by 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole. The various catalases exhibited different catalase activities in the presence of different salts at different concentrations, OsCatC showing higher salt inhibitory effects than the two other OsCats.     

Enhanced Sono-Fenton-Like Oxidation of PAH-Contaminated Soil Using Nano-Sized Magnetite as Catalyst: Optimization with Response Surface Methodology

In the current study, Fe₃O₄ NPs were synthesized and used as catalysts in a sono-Fenton-like process for remediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-contaminated soil. The effects of operational variables were studied using central composite design (CCD) optimization approach. Results indicated that the effects of H₂O₂ concentration, Fe₃O₄ NPs dosage, ultrasonic power and pH were significant for pyrene removal as a contaminant model. In optimum experimental conditions, including H₂O₂ concentration of 78 mM, Fe₃O₄ NPs dosage of 18 mM, ultrasonic power of 313 W and pH value of 3.46, the observed pyrene removal was obtained 98.37%, which was verified through the additional experimental tests (99.33%). Pseudo first-order kinetic model was well fitted with the experimental data of pyrene removal with significant coefficient of correlation (R²: 0.9672). Accordingly, an unwashed real soil sample containing diffident PAHs (pyrene, flurene, acenaphthylene, phenenthrene, chrysene, etc) was subjected to sono-Fenton-like process based on optimized conditions. The obtained findings revealed that the removal (%) ranged between 37.7% and 85.19% for different PAHs.     

Immobilization of glucose oxidase on Fe<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript>/SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> magnetic nanoparticles

Glucose oxidase (GOD) was covalently immobilized onto Fe₃O₄/SiO₂ magnetic nanoparticles (FSMNs) using glutaraldehyde (GA). Optimal immobilization was at pH 6 with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane at 2% (v/v), GA at 3% (v/v) and 0.143 g GOD per g carrier. The activity of immobilized GOD was 4,570 U/g at pH 7 and 50°C. The immobilized GOD retained 80% of its initial activity after 6 h at 45°C while free enzyme retained only 20% activity. The immobilized GOD maintained 60% of its initial activity after 6 cycles of repeated use and retained 75% of its initial activity after 1 month at 4°C whereas free enzymes retained 62% of its activity.     

Immobilization and Characterization of a Thermostable Lipase

Lipases have found a number of commercial applications. However, thermostable lipase immobilized on nanoparticle is not extensively characterized. In this study, a recombinant thermostable lipase (designated as TtL) from Thermus thermophilus WL was expressed in Escherichia coli and immobilized onto 3-APTES-modified Fe₃O₄@SiO₂ supermagnetic nanoparticles. Based on analyses with tricine–sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and vibrating sample magnetometer observation, the diameter of immobilized lipase nanoparticle was 18.4 (±2.4)?nm, and its saturation magnetization value was 52.3 emu/g. The immobilized lipase could be separated from the reaction medium rapidly and easily in a magnetic field. The biochemical characterizations revealed that, comparing with the free one, the immobilized lipase exhibited better resistance to temperature, pH, metal ions, enzyme inhibitors, and detergents. The K _m value for the immobilized TtL (2.56 mg/mL) was found to be lower than that of the free one (3.74 mg/mL), showing that the immobilization improved the affinity of lipase for its substrate. In addition, the immobilized TtL exhibited good reusability. It retained more than 79.5 % of its initial activity after reusing for 10 cycles. Therefore, our study presented that the possibility of the efficient reuse of the thermostable lipase immobilized on supermagnetic nanoparticles made it attractive from the viewpoint of practical application.     

Immobilization of Rhizopus oryzae lipase on magnetic Fe3O4-chitosan beads and its potential in phenolic acids ester synthesis

A novel and simple method was developed for the preparation of magnetic Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles by chemical co-precipitation method and subsequent coating with 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTMS) through silanization process. Magnetic Fe₃O₄-chitosan particles were prepared by the suspension cross-linking and covalent technique to be used in the application of magnetic carrier technology. The synthesized immobilization supports were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Using glutaraldehyde as the coupling agent, the lipase from R. oryzae was successfully immobilized onto the functionalized magnetic Fe₃O₄-chitosan beads. The results showed that 86.60% of R. oryzae lipase was bound on the synthesized immobilization support. This immobilized lipase was successfully used for the esterification of phenolic acid which resulted in esterification of phenolic acid in isooctane solvent reaction system for 8 consecutive cycles (totally 384 h), 72.6% of its initial activity was retained, indicating a high stability in pharmaceutical and industrial applications.     

Comparative kinetic characterization of catalases of the genusPenicillum

Extracellular catalases produced by fungi of the genusPenicillium, i.e.,P. piceum, P. varians, andP. kapuscinskii, were purified by consecutive filtration of culture liquids. The maximum reaction rate of H₂O₂ decomposition, the Michaelis constants, and specific catalytic activities of isolated catalases were determined. The operational stability was characterized by the effective rate of catalase inactivation during enzymatic reaction (k _in at 30°C). The thermal stability was determined by the rate of enzyme thermal inactivation at 45°C (k _in ^* , s^-1). Catalase fromP. piceum displayed the maximum activity, which was higher than the activity of catalase from bovine liver. The operational stability of catalase fromP. piceum was twofold to threefold higher than the stability of catalase from bovine liver. The physicochemical characteristics of catalases of fungi are better than the characteristics of catalase from bovine liver and intracellular catalase of yeastC. boidinii.     

Alkaline Catalase Produced by Bacillus No. Ku-1

Bacillus No. Ku-1 isolated from soil produced and alkaline catalase in alkaline media. The characteristic point of this bacteria was especially good growth in alkaline media. The alkaline catalase in the culture fluid was purified by DEAE-cellulose and Sephadex columns. The enzyme was most active at pH 10.0 and was stable at pH 7.0 to 8.5. The sedimentation constant was about 12.5 S. The enzyme was strongly inhibited by NaN₃, KCN, FeSO₄ and Fe₂ (SO₄)₃. Properties of the enzyme are almost same as those of catalases so far reported except optimum pH for enzyme action and Kat.f. value (4.4×10⁴).