REUSABLE BIOCATALYST BY PEPSIN IMMOBILIZATION ON FUNCTIONALIZED MAGNETITE NANOPARTICLES

摘要

Magnetite nanoparticles (MNp) have been prepared as appropriate supports for pepsin loading with the aim to obtain active and reusable biocatalytical constructs. Physical adsorption on amino-functionalized MNp and covalent immobilization on glutaraldehyde pre-activated MNp were comparatively tested as viable methods for the immobilization of pepsin extracted from porcine gastric mucosa. The chemical composition, size and morphology of resulting pepsin-magnetite nanostructures were determined. Optimum results have been obtained for pepsin immobilized by physical adsorption in acid media, when a total amount of 2 mg pepsin was loaded on each mg of MNp. Furthermore, the MNp-immobilized pepsin was able to catalyze several cycles of hemoglobin hydrolysis after successive recovery through magnetic separation.