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US 4,918,016 AGranted
Enzyme immobilization on mineral particles coated with chitosan
AssigneeNestec S.A.
InventorsJean-Louis Leuba, Albert Renken, Erwin Flaschel
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AssigneeNestec S.A.
InventorsJean-Louis Leuba, Albert Renken, Erwin Flaschel
Estimating the term…
Enzymatic catalysts are produced from mineral particles coated with chitosan. The enzymes may be directly absorbed onto the surface after a cross-linking treatment to stablize the coating or immobilized by chemical bonds after a treatment with a bifunctional reagent, for example with glutaraldehyde. The stability of the biocatalyst is advantageously increased by retreatment with a bifunctional reagent after immobilization of the enzyme. Enzymes sensitive to glutaraldehyde are fixed by a carbodiimide. The catalysts thus prepared are insoluble in aqueous solutions. The particles are rigid and incompressible and are suitable for use in fixed-bed and fluidized-bed reactors. The immobilization yield may reach 90% depending on the circumstances.
A process for the production of an enzymatically active biocatalyst insoluble in aqueous medium and particularly suitable for use in fluidised-bed or fixed-bed reactors, which comprises coating particles of a rigid and dense mineral material which a layer of chitosan to form a support, treating the support with a bifunctional reagent to stabilise the chitosan and then fixing an enzyme to the support.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.