African Journal of
Biotechnology

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Biotechnol.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1684-5315
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJB
  • Start Year: 2002
  • Published Articles: 12480

Full Length Research Paper

Physico-chemical characteristics of immobilized polygalacturonase from Aspergillus niger (SA6)

  Mohammed L. Buga1*, Sani Ibrahim2 and Andrew J. Nok2  
  1Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Plot 427, Aguiyi-Ironsi Street, Maitama District, P.M.B. 232, Garki, Abuja, Nigeria. 2Department of Biochemistry, Ahmadu Bello University, Samaru, Zaria, Nigeria.  
Email: [email protected]

  •  Accepted: 12 October 2010
  •  Published: 21 December 2010

Abstract

 

Polygalacturonase (PG) was isolated from Aspergillus niger (A. niger) (SA6), partially purified, characterized and immobilized by entrapment using calcium alginate. The polygalacturonase showed two bands on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacryamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) suggesting an “endo and exo” polygalacturonase with apparent molecular weights of 35 and 40 KDa, respectively. The enzyme was purified 9 fold with a yield of 0.18% and specific activity of 246 µmole/min/mg. The apparent KM and Vmax of the immobilized polygalacturonase were11.1 mg/ml and 1.65 µmole/min/mg, respectively. The optimum pH and optimum temperature of the immobilized polygalacturonase were 4.5 and 40°C, respectively. Immobilized polygalacturonase exhibited more stability to changes in pH than the temperature. The activity of the immobilized polygalacturonase reduced to 34.56 and 14.81% of the initial activity in the second and third catalytic cycles, respectively. The half life of the enzyme and the activity lost per minute on thermal storage were 10 min and 0.0213 µMole of D-galacturonic acid.

 

Key words: Polygalacturonase, Aspergillus niger, pectinases, enzymes.

Abbreviation

 

Abbreviations: DNS, Dinitrosalicylic acid; FPLC, fast protein liquid chromatography; DEAE, diethylaminoethyl; PG, polygalacturonase.