Magnetic Particles Coated with Polymers to Boost Enzyme Use

Scientists have found a clever way to boost the performance of an important enzyme called penicillin G acylase (PGA). They started by collecting tiny magnetic particles, Fe3O4, from nickel slag. Next, they coated these particles with a mix of two polymers: poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) and poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA). Then, they added a chemical called glutaraldehyde (GA) to help the polymers stick to the particles. The scientists used these coated magnetic particles as carriers for PGA. They formed a strong bond between the enzyme and the carrier using a reaction called Schiff base. To make sure each step was done right, they used several techniques like FTIR, XRD, and VSM.

They wanted to find the best conditions for immobilizing PGA. They found that a 2. 5% enzyme solution, a pH of 8. 0, 24 hours of immobilization time, and a temperature of 37°C worked best. Under these conditions, the immobilized PGA showed high activity and stability. The coated magnetic particles with PGA worked great. They had a high enzyme activity recovery (EAR) of 93. 71%, enzyme activity (EA) of 31, 367 U/g, and could load a lot of enzyme (111 mg/g). They also lasted a long time and could be reused many times without losing much activity. In comparison, the immobilized PGA was more stable and durable than the free PGA. Even after 11 uses, it kept 58% of its initial activity. The magnetic particles weren't lost much either, with a recovery rate of 82%. This makes these coated magnetic particles a promising choice for practical uses.

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