Title : Laccase-Electrospun materials as biocatalytic systems for application in environmental protection
Abstract:
Over recent years, there has been a significant increase in the use of immobilized biocatalysts in many fields of science, life and industry, mainly due to the improvement of the stability and activity of enzymes at harsh reaction conditions as well possibility of their reuse. The immobilized biocatalysts are used, among others in the synthesis of pharmaceutically active substances, in the food industry, as well as in the processing and conversion of biomass components. However, it is also becoming increasingly common to use biocatalytic systems based on immobilized enzymes in the conversion processes (biodegradation) of selected compounds present in wastewater, which pose a potential threat to life and health of living organisms. This is possible due to the immobilization of such enzymes as laccase, tyrosinase or peroxidases, which can be immobilized, among others on the surface of composite oxide materials, biopolymers, or materials produced by the electrospinning technique. As a result, it is possible to obtain systems with a characteristic that enables effective application of the developed solutions.
In the presented study poly(l-lactic acid)-co-poly(ε-caprolactone) and poly(methyl methacrylate) with incorporated magnetite nanoparticles were used for immobilization of laccase from Trametes versicolor and further, obtained biocatalytic systems were applied for removal of naproxen, diclofenac and tetracycline from model water solutions. Effect of various process conditions, such as pH, temperature, and its duration on the biodegradation efficiency of pharmaceuticals were studied in details. Moreover, storage stability as well as reusability of the immobilized enzymes were evaluated and compared. Obtained results clearly show that immobilization of laccase using various electrospun materials results in production of highly active systems capable for effective removal of environmental pollutants.
