Performance Improvement of Ca-Alginate Bead Cross- Linked Laccase from Trametes versicolor IBL-04

Extracellular laccase was produced by Trametes versicolor IBL-04 using corn cobs as a substrate under pre-optimized culture conditions. A 64kDa laccase enzyme was purified and immobilized on calcium alginate beads using glutaraldehyde as a cross-linking reagent. Maximum enzyme immobilization efficiency (89%) was observed with 2-mm calcium-alginate beads that were developed using 4% (w/v) sodium alginate in 2% (w/v) calcium chloride solution. Immobilization of laccase enhanced the optimum temperature but caused an acidic shift in the optimum pH of the enzyme. The immobilized enzyme showed optimum activity at pH 3.0 and 60 °C as compared to pH 4.5 and 45 °C for free laccase. The kinetic constants Km and Vmax of laccase were significantly altered by immobilization. The affinity of enzyme toward its substrate increased (Km decreased), leading to enhanced catalytic efficiency (Vmax increased). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was performed to characterize the free and enzyme-bound immobilization matrix. Free and immobilized enzymes also were used for decolorization of the Reactive T Blue dye (030905 GWF) for three days. The free and immobilized laccases decolorized the dye by 65% and 92%, respectively, in 72 h. The immobilized enzyme retained 68% of its original activity after three cycles of repeated reuse for dye decolorization, indicating the usefulness of immobilized laccase in repeated industrial batch operations.