Effect of biopolymer matrices on lactose hydrolysis by enzymatically active hydrogel and aerogels loaded with ?-galactosidase nanoflowers

In this work, enzymatically active polysaccharide-based hydrogels and aerogels have been developed. To end, a thermostable ?-galactosidase (TmLac) enzyme from Thermotoga maritima embedded in nanoflowers’ format was used to evaluate the capacity of hydrogel matrices preserve hydrolytic activity reusability formed. Commercial agar, unpurified agar agarose were compared as supporting materials. Although developed capsules can be at high temperature (75 °C) reused for digestion lactose greater extent than free nanoflowers, loaded behaved differently depending on type polysaccharide used. most promising one since these could reused, maintaining structural integrity reaching higher enzymatic (after seven cycles 75 TmLac-Ca2+ nanoflowers. facilitate handling storage, by freeze-drying capsules. Aerogels underwent changes during that adversely affected their subsequent use, losing after being rehydrated. However, commercial successfully thanks existing interactions with nanoflowers (confirmed FTIR), which resulted better capsule protection. The based same range TmLac significantly counterparts hydrated form (hydrogels agar).