Establishment of a biosystem engineering process for production of fructose syrup using immobilized glucose isomerase

Abstract

The current interests of biotechnological ventures are improving enzyme catalytic activity and developing unique techniques to extend their shelf life. These necessities are unavoidable in facilitating an enormous scale and commercial formulation. Immobilization of enzymes provides a phenomenal base for extending the availability of enzymes to the substrate with more noteworthy revenue over a significant time frame. Different ordinary and artificial supports have been estimated as excellent matrices for enzyme immobilization. Currently, immobilized enzymes are favored over their free counterpart because of their extended availability that reduces repetitive downstream and purification processes. Current investigations should attempt to adopt strategic and sensible immobilization techniques along with unique modification of supports to improve the condition of enzyme immobilization. It offers new perspectives to Bangladesh’s industrial sectors. The main aim of the current research is to develop a bio-system engineering process based on immobilized glucose isomerase for the industrial production of fructose. In this research, the glucose isomerase enzyme was immobilized on different support matrices, including sodium alginate, native industrial waste cellulosic materials (rice bran, sawdust, sugarcane bagasse, coconut coir), and conjugates of alginate and cellulosic materials. The activity of immobilized enzymes for the production of fructose from glucose was determined. Enzymes immobilized in sodium alginate beads produced 39.01 mg/mL of fructose. In different cellulosic materials, enzymes immobilized in sawdust produced the highest amount (56.80 mg/mL) of fructose. Among all matrices, enzymes immobilized in sawdust-sodium alginate conjugate produced the maximum amount (69.13 mg/mL) of fructose. All the enzyme immobilized matrices were reused up to the seventh or eighth cycles. Free enzymes manufactured 14.44 mg/mL of fructose in a single cycle only. The conversion of fructose from glucose using immobilized glucose isomerase enzymes was much greater than that of free enzymes. A fixed-bed immobilized enzyme bioreactor had been established, which might be used for the manufacture of numerous valuable products on an industrial scale. Therefore, this study can generate a new prospect for the application of immobilized enzymes in many areas of industrial biotechnology.

Jahangirnagar University J. Biol. Sci. 14(1 & 2): 11-27, 2025 (June & December)