Comparative study of catalytic activity of immobilized invertase in sodium alginate gel on sucrose hydrolysis

Abstract

<span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:" times="" new="" roman";color:black;mso-bidi-font-weight:="" bold"="" lang="EN-IN">Invertase is an intracellular hydrolytic enzyme widely used in the inversion of sucrose into glucose and fructose. Both glucose and fructose are the primary compounds used as sweeteners in the food processing industries. In the present investigation invertase was immobilized in sodium alginate gel by entrapment method and the catalytic activity of immobilized enzyme was compared with the activity of native enzyme at variable <i>p</i>H and temperatures. Experimental findings revealed that for native enzyme optimum activity was at <i>p</i>H 4.2 and at temperature 30°C, while for immobilized enzyme it was observed at <i>p</i>H 4.8 and at temperature 50°C. Kinetic parameters <i>K</i>_m<i> </i>and <i>V</i>_max as well as catalytic efficiency of invertase was also determined for both the native and immobilized enzyme.

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