Mechanical stability and diffusional resistance of a polymeric gel used for biocatalyst immobilization. |
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Authors: | E de Alteriis V Scardi P Masi P Parascandola |
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Institution: | Dipartimento di Fisiologia Generale e Ambientale, Università di Napoli, Italy. |
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Abstract: | The mechanical strength of gelatin gels insolubilized by crosslinking with formaldehyde was measured at various gelatin percentages and formaldehyde-to-gelatin ratios. This property was shown to be related to the characteristic sponge-like structure of the insolubilized gelatin gel, a structure that unexpectedly is also responsible for the resistance to substrate and product diffusion. A comparison between immobilizates of invertase and invertase-active yeast cells prepared with different gelatin concentrations showed that the enzyme, in contrast to cells, is deeply involved in the gel insolubilization process. The catalytic behavior of agar, kappa-carrageenan, alginate, and gelatin immobilizates was compared under the same conditions of cell loading. |
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