Oxime-functionalized cryogel disks for catalase immobilization

Catalase is a protective enzyme against oxidative stress and converts hydrogen peroxide into water and molecular oxygen. In the current study, catalase immobilization was applied onto the oxime-functionalized cryogel disks. Cryogel disks were produced by free radical polymerization. After cutting as circular disks, oxime ligand (4-biphenylchloroglyoxime, BPCGO) was attached and oxime-functionalized cryogel disks were obtained. After optimization of several immobilization parameters such as pH, initial catalase concentration, temperature and ionic strength, maximum catalase load was detected as 261.7 ± 11.2mg/g for cryogel disk at pH5.0. Activity studies indicated that immobilization enhanced the enzyme activity in basic pH region, the temperature range of 15–35°C and at ionic strengths between 0.2 and 1.0M NaCl. Km was detected as 9.9 and 11.0mM and Vmax was 357.1 and 769.2μmol min−1 for free and immobilized catalase, respectively. kcat and Km/kcat values showed that immobilization enhanced the catalytic efficiency. Storage stability experiments demonstrated that immobilization increased the usability period. Furthermore, catalase desorption was achieved by 1.0M NaSCN at pH8.0 successfully and catalase adsorption capacity of oxime-functionalized cryogel disk was decreased by 9.9% at the end of 5 adsorption-desorption cycle.