Immobilization of Aspergillus niger NRC 107 Xylanase and beta-Xylosidase, and Properties of the Immobilzed Enzymes.

Aspergillus niger NRC 107 xylanase and beta-xylosidase were immobilized on various carriers by different methods of immobilization, including physical absorption, covalent binding, ionic binding, and entrapment. The immobilized enzymes were prepared by physical adsorption on tannin-chitosan, ionic binding onto Dowex-50W, covalent binding on chitosan beads through glutaraldehyde, and entrapment in polyacrylamide had the highest activities. In most cases, the optimum pH of the immobilized enzymes were shifted to lower than those of free enzymes. The optimum reaction temperature of immobilized xylanase was shifted from 50C to 52.5-65C, whereas that of immobilized beta-xylosidase was shifted from 45C to 50-60C. The Km values of immobilized enzymes were higher than those of native enzymes. The operational stability of the immobilized enzymes was evaluated in continuous operation in packed-bead column-type reactors. The enzymes covalently bounded to chitosan showed the highest operational stability. However, the enzymes immobilized by physical absorption or by ionic binding showed a low operational stability. The enzymes entrapped in polyacrylamide exhibited lower activity, but better operational stability.