ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Influence of two-phase system composition on biocatalytic properties of β -galactosidase preparations

W. Bednarski and A. Kulikowska

University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 10-718 Olsztyn, Poland

E-mail: wbed@uwm.edu.pl

Received: 13 September 2006  Revised: 23 March 2007  Accepted: 4 April 2007

Abstract: A comparison was made between the catalytic properties of β-galactosidase from Penicillium canescens and Aspergillus oryzae using lactose in two-phase systems of an organic solvent and water. It was shown that the ability of β-galactosidase preparations to synthesize galactooligosaccharides depends on the type of the solvent used (cyclohexane, hexane, toluene) and on its proportion in the two-phase system. The use of cyclohexane in the reaction medium stabilized the activity of β-galactosidase from P. canescens which was immobilized on tosylated cotton cloth, and enabled its multiple use in galactooligosaccharides synthesis.

Keywords: beta-galactosidase - immobilized biocatalyst - organic solvents - lactose - galactooligosaccharides

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.2478/s11696-007-0049-9

Chemical Papers 61 (5) 364–369 (2007)