A comparative characterization of the properties of biocatalysts containing chemotrypsin immobilized on polysaccharide supports

In this work, the effect exerted by the type of polysaccharide support for immobilization and encapsulation on the stability of chemotrypsin was studied. The synthesized biocatalysts were compared with respect to their proteolytic activity. The highest proteolytic activity equal to 192 U/g was observed for the cellulose-chitosan composite. It was found that immobilization slightly shifts the temperature and pH optima of chemotrypsin; however, they are substantially expanded toward higher temperatures and alkaline pH values. A relative increase in the activity of immobilized chemotrypsin was most pronounced in the case of cellulose-chitosan composite. After a 24 month storage of cellulose-chitosan and cellulose-alginate composites, a decrease in chemotrypsin activity did not exceed 45–50 %. The study revealed that the optimal support for immobilization of chemotrypsin is the cellulose-chitosan composite.