Immobilization of Lipases on Magnetic Collagen Fibers and Its Applications for Short-Chain Ester Synthesis

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNp) Fe3O4 were prepared by chemical coprecipitation, and introduced onto collagen fibers to form magnetic collagen support (MNp-Col) for enzyme immobilization. Candida rugosa lipase has been successfully immobilized on MNp-Col supports by a covalent bond cross-linking agent, glutaraldehyde. The characteristics of MNp-Col and the immobilized lipase were investigated. The immobilized lipase displayed sound magnetic separation abilities in both aqueous and organic media. The activity of the immobilized lipase reached 2390 U/g under optimal conditions. The MNp-Col immobilized lipase shows broadened temperature and pH ranges for hydrolysis of olive oil emulsion. For synthesis of butyrate esters in an n-hexane medium, the yield changes through use of different alcohols, among which, butyric butyrate showed the highest yield. The prepared magnetic collagen fiber provides separation support for enzyme immobilization and has the potential to be used in other biotechnology fields.