EFFICIENT IMMOBILIZATION OF MILK

CLOTTING ENZYME PRODUCED BY

BACILLUS SPHAERICUS
Milk Clotting Enzyme (MCE)
Milk-clotting enzymes, obtained from animal, plant, and microbial sources have been
used since antiquity for the manufacture of foods especially on cheese manufacturing.
MCE examples: papain, trypsin, chymotrypsin, pancreatin and chymosin
MCE Immobilization
Since the recovery yield and reusability of free enzymes as industrial catalysts are
quite limited, attention has been paid to enzyme immobilization which may offer
advantages over soluble native or modified enzymes. Enzyme immobilization allows
: (i) continuous operation of the enzymatic processes
(ii) controlled product formation
(iii) rapid termination of reactions
(iv) easy separation from reaction mixture
(v) improved enzyme stability
(vi) greater variety of engineering designs
Some MCE Immobilization: MCE produced by Bacillus circulans 25 and Bacillus
licheniformis immobilized on chitosan and Amberlite
 In the study, MCE enzyme is produced by Bacillus
sphaericus, this was immobilized by adsorption on
silica gel.
This was efficiently immobilized with 70%
immobilization degree and 73% activity retained.
The immobilized enzyme was 13% higher than the
free enzyme.
 Optimum conditions in immobilization process:
The optimum pH value for enzyme immobilization on silica gel was
5
The optimum time required was 4 hours
Optimum enzyme concentration was 2.5 mg protein (0.5 mg/mL
The immobilized enzyme was stable when stored at 4C and room
temp.
A 60% loss of activity was observed for the free enzyme after storage
for 60 days at 4C. This might be due to protein-protein interaction
(autolysis) On the other hand, MCE immobilized on silica gel lost only
10% of its activity under the same conditions.. This enhanced stability is
probably a result of the prevention of autolysis by immobilization
At room temperature (25C), the free enzyme completely lost its activity
in 30 days while the immobilized enzyme still retained about 70% of its
activity after storage for 60 days.
ADSORPTION
Adsorption

Involves physical binding of the enzyme on the carrier matrix

Carrier may be organic or inorganic
The process incolves weak interactions like van der waals or
hydrogen bonds
Carriers: Silica, bentonite, cellulose etc
Example: Catalase and Invertase
Adsorption
Advantages Disadvantages

Simple and economical Relatively low surface

Limited Loss of Activity area for binding
Can be recycled, Exposure of enzyme to
regenerated and reused microbial attack
Yield are often low due to
inactivation and
desorption.