Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
25-60° C during 30 min and 1h; and it showed high stability and compatibility with them. The
peptide synthesis catalyzed by
Acacia
caven
CE was carried out in a mixture of 0.1M Tris-
HCl buffer pH 8.5 and ethyl acetate (50:50 ratio) at 37° C using 2-mercaptoethanol as
activator and TEA as neutralizing agent of the amino component (Phe-OMe.HCl). Carboxylic
components were selected in base of the highest preference of CE. The identification of
synthesized peptide products was carried out by HPLC-MS. According to the obtained results,
this work contributes with a new variety of phytoprotease useful as catalyst of the peptide
synthesis and as additive of laundry detergents.
Introduction
Enzymes are used in a wide range of industrial processes and in consumer products. The
technical industries segment comprises the detergent, starch, textile, fuel alcohol, leather, and
pulp and paper industries [1].
Proteases are one of the three largest groups of industrial enzymes and represent about
60% of the total worldwide sales of enzymes [2]. Several of these are used in a wide range of
industrial processes and in consumer products such as detergents, brewing, leather, dairy and
food-processing industries [3, 4]. Proteases are also useful as components in
biopharmaceutical products such as contact-lens enzyme cleaners and enzymatic debriders
[5].
Alkaline proteases also have a long history in the food and detergent industries. Their
application in the leather industry for dehairing and bating of hides to substitute the traditional
methods involving sodium sulfide (toxic chemical) is a relatively new development and has
conferred added biotechnological importance [6].
Enzymes have also been used to improve the cleaning efficiency of detergents. Detergent
enzymes account for about 30% of the total worldwide enzyme production and represent one
of the largest and most successful applications of modern industrial biotechnology [7]. In
detergent formulations, the proteases act on protein-based stains (blood, grass and food stains,
for example); the amylases assist in the removal of starch-based stains from many types of
food products, and the lipases facilitates the removal of fat and oil-based stains from greasy
food and human sebum [8]. Enzymes function optimally in detergents at temperatures of 20-
60º C and within a pH range of 7.5 - 10.5. The performance of enzymes in detergents
depends on a number of factors, including the detergent composition, type of stains to be
removed, wash temperature, washing procedure and wash-water quality.
Detergents available on the international market, such as Dynamo
®
, Era Plus
®
and Tide
®
(Procter and Gamble), contain proteolytic enzymes, the majority of which are produced by
members of the genus Bacillus. Subtilisins have been the enzymes of choice in detergent
formulations (U.S. Patent Nº 1240058, 374971, 370482 and 4266031, and UK Patent Nº
13155937), despite their low stability in the presence of commercial detergents and their short
half-time on the shelf [9, 10].
For an enzyme to be used as a detergent additive it should be stable and active in the
presence of typical detergent ingredients, such as surfactants, builders, bleaching agents,
bleach activators, fillers, fabric softeners and various other formulation aids. The food process
industry has come to rely on improved detergent efficiency in their cleaning programs [11].
On the other hand, the application of proteases to the production of short oligopeptides in
aqueous-organic media, have received a great deal attention as a viable alternative to
