Cellulases immobilization on chitosan-coated magnetic nanoparticles: application for Agave Atrovirens lignocellulosic biomass hydrolysis.

In the present study, Trichoderma reesei cellulase was covalently immobilized on chitosan-coated magnetic nanoparticles using glutaraldehyde as a coupling agent. The average diameter of magnetic nanoparticles before and after enzyme immobilization was about 8 and 10 nm, respectively. The immobilized enzyme retained about 37 % of its initial activity, and also showed better thermal and storage stability than free enzyme. Immobilized cellulase retained about 80 % of its activity after 15 cycles of carboxymethylcellulose hydrolysis and was easily separated with the application of an external magnetic field. However, in this reaction, K m was increased eight times. The immobilized enzyme was able to hydrolyze lignocellulosic material from Agave atrovirens leaves with yield close to the amount detected with free enzyme and it was re-used in vegetal material conversion up to four cycles with 50 % of activity decrease. This provides an opportunity to reduce the enzyme consumption during lignocellulosic material saccharification for bioethanol production.

Immobilization of Aspergillus niger lipase on chitosan-coated magnetic nanoparticles using two covalent-binding methods.

Aspergillus niger lipase immobilization by covalent binding on chitosan-coated magnetic nanoparticles (CMNP), obtained by one-step co-precipitation, was studied. Hydroxyl and amino groups of support were activated using glycidol and glutaraldehyde, respectively. Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and thermogravimetric analysis confirmed reaction of these coupling agents with the enzyme and achievement of a successful immobilization. The derivatives showed activities of 309.5 ± 2.0 and 266.2 ± 2.8 U (g support)(-1) for the CMNP treated with glutaraldehyde and with glycidol, respectively. Immobilization enhanced the enzyme stability against changes of pH and temperature, compared to free lipase. Furthermore, the kinetic parameters K m and V max were determined for the free and immobilized enzyme. K m value quantified for enzyme immobilized by means of glutaraldehyde was 1.7 times lowers than for free lipase. High storage stability during 50 days was observed in the immobilized derivatives. Finally, immobilized derivatives retained above 80% of their initial activity after 15 hydrolytic cycles. The immobilized enzyme can be applied in various biotechnological processes involving magnetic separation.

Effect of monomer dosing rate in the preparation of mesoporous polystyrene nanoparticles by semicontinuous heterophase polymerization.

The semicontinuous heterophase polymerization of styrene in the presence of cross-linking and porogen agents was carried out. Latexes with close to 20% solid content, which contained mesoporous nanoparticles with 28 nm in average diameters, up to 0.5 cm3/g in porosity and 6-8 nm in pore diameters were obtained. By varying the monomer dosing rate over the micellar solution, an unexpected direct dependence of instantaneous conversion on the monomer dosing rate was found. This was ascribed to the higher average number of radicals per particle attained in the polymerization at the higher dosing rate, which in turn would arise from the higher gel percentage in the polymer. It is believed that the cross-linked chains prevent encounters between radicals, delaying the bimolecular termination reactions and allowing the existence of more than one radical inside the particles, which in turn increases the propagation rate.

Chitosan-coated magnetic nanoparticles prepared in one-step by precipitation in a high-aqueous phase content reverse microemulsion.

Chitosan-coated magnetic nanoparticles (CMNP) were prepared in one-step by precipitation in a high-aqueous phase content reverse microemulsion in the presence of chitosan. The high-aqueous phase concentration led to productivities close to 0.49 g CMNP/100 g microemulsion; much higher than those characteristic of precipitation in reverse microemulsions for preparing magnetic nanoparticles. The obtained nanoparticles present a narrow particle size distribution with an average diameter of 4.5 nm; appearing to be formed of a single crystallite; furthermore they present superparamagnetism and high magnetization values; close to 49 emu/g. Characterization of CMNP suggests that chitosan is present as a non-homogeneous very thin layer; which explains the slight reduction in the magnetization value of CMNP in comparison with that of uncoated magnetic nanoparticles. The prepared nanoparticles show high heavy ion removal capability; as demonstrated by their use in the treatment of Pb2+ aqueous solutions; from which lead ions were completely removed within 10 min.

Chitosan-coated magnetic nanoparticles prepared in one step by reverse microemulsion precipitation.

Chitosan-coated magnetic nanoparticles (CMNP) were obtained at 70 °C and 80 °C in a one-step method, which comprises precipitation in reverse microemulsion in the presence of low chitosan concentration in the aqueous phase. X-ray diffractometry showed that CMNP obtained at both temperatures contain a mixture of magnetite and maghemite nanoparticles with ≈4.5 nm in average diameter, determined by electron microscopy, which suggests that precipitation temperature does not affect the particle size. The chitosan coating on nanoparticles was inferred from Fourier transform infrared spectrometry measurements; furthermore, the carbon concentration in the nanoparticles allowed an estimation of chitosan content in CMNP of 6%-7%. CMNP exhibit a superparamagnetic behavior with relatively high final magnetization values (≈49-53 emu/g) at 20 kOe and room temperature, probably due to a higher magnetite content in the mixture of magnetic nanoparticles. In addition, a slight direct effect of precipitation temperature on magnetization was identified, which was ascribed to a possible higher degree of nanoparticles crystallinity as temperature at which they are obtained increases. Tested for Pb2+ removal from a Pb(NO3)2 aqueous solution, CMNP showed a recovery efficacy of 100%, which makes them attractive for using in heavy metals ion removal from waste water.

Loading of doxorubicin on poly(methyl methacrylate-co-methacrylic acid) nanoparticles and release study.

Nanoparticles (NP) of 12.7 nm in diameter of the poly(methyl methacrylate (MMA)-co-methacrylic acid (MAA)) copolymer were prepared. 13C-NMR results showed a MMA:MAA molar ratio of 0.64:0.36 in the copolymer, which is similar to the poly(MMA-co-MAA) commercially known as the FDA approved Eudragit S100 (0.67:0.33). The NP prepared in this study were loaded at pH 5 with varying amounts (from 0.54 to 6.91%) of doxorubicin (DOX), an antineoplastic drug. 1H-NMR results indicated the electrostatic interactions between the ionized carboxylic groups of the MAA units in the copolymer and the proton of the glycosidic amine in DOX. Measurements by QLS and TEM indicated that the loading destabilizes the NP, and that for increase stability, they aggregate in a reversible way, forming aggregates with a diameter up to 99.5 nm at a DOX load of 6.91%. The analysis of drug release data at pH 7.4 showed that loaded NP with at least 4.38% DOX release the drug very slowly and follows the Higuchi model; the former suggests that they could remain for long periods in the bloodstream to reach and destroy cancer cells.

Preparation of ultrafine poly(methyl methacrylate-co-methacrylic acid) biodegradable nanoparticles loaded with ibuprofen.

Ibuprofen-loaded polymeric particles with around 9.2 nm in mean diameter, as determined by electron microscopy, dispersed in an aqueous media containing up to 12.8% solids were prepared by semicontinuous heterophase polymerization. The polymeric material is a (2/1 mol/mol) methyl methacrylate-co-methacrylic acid copolymer similar to Eudragit S100, deemed safe for human consumption and used in the manufacturing of drug-loaded pills as well as micro- and nanoparticles. The loading efficiency was 100%, attaining around 10-12% in drug content. Release studies showed that the drug is released from the nanoparticles at a slower rate than that in the case of free IB. Given their size as well as the pH values required for their dissolution, it is believed that this type of particles could be used as a basis for preparing nanosystems loaded with a variety of drugs.

Extraction and immobilization of SA-α-2,6-Gal receptors on magnetic nanoparticles to study receptor stability and interaction with Sambucus nigra lectin.

The interaction between influenza virus hemagglutinins and host cell with terminal sialic acid linked receptors, SA-α-2,6-Gal for human strains is important to obtain insights into this infectious disease. Sambucus nigra lectin has high affinity for SA-α-2,6-Gal receptors. The goals of this work were: to extract the SA-α-2,6-Gal receptors from porcine airways; to perform receptors immobilization and study their storage stability; and to determine some parameters of interaction between the receptor and S. nigra lectin. The receptor isolation was monitored by means of bound sialic acid (BSAc) detection. A major band of protein at 66.7 kDa was clearly visible in SDS-PAGE assay. Eighty-one percent of isolated glycoproteins were immobilized on magnetic nanoparticles. The kinetics of BSAc storage stability at 4 °C was approximated as the first order reaction with kinetic constant and half-life estimated as 0.062 day(-1) and 11.2 days, respectively. The dissociation constant (K d) calculated from Scatchard's plot was 2.47 × 10(-7) M, and the receptor concentration was equal to 7.92 × 10(-5) M. Procedure for N-SA-α-2,6-Gal -receptors extraction based on their affinity to S. nigra lectin with magnetic nanoparticles, and their immobilization in active form, was not described previously, and may have wide application in designing biosensors or virus removal from areas or contaminated samples.