Abstract: | β-Xylosidase from a commercial Aspergillus niger preparation was purified by differential ammonium sulfate precipitation and either gel permeation or cation exchange chromatography, giving 16-fold purification in 32% yield for the first technique or 27-fold purification in 19% yield for the second. The second method in addition almost completely removed interfering β-glucosidase activity. Enzymes prepared by this method was immobilized to 10 different carriers, but only when it was bound to alumina with TiCl4 and to alkylamine porous silica with glutaraldehyde were substantial efficiencies and stabilities achieved. With alumina, the variation of activation procedure, amount of β-xylosidase offered, and activation solution composition yielded maximum activities of over 40 U/g with approximately 70% immobilization efficiency. Variation of binding pH and incubation time led to a maximum immobilized activity of 1.3 U/g with 78% immobilization efficiency on silica. |