Tyrosinase from Sepiella inermis (Van Hasselt [Ferussac & d’Orbigny], 1835) and its Phenol Removal Activity

Tyrosinase is a ubiquitous enzyme found in most pigmented animals. In the present study, the tyrosinase enzyme was isolated and purified from Sepiella inermis ink and its application in phenolic compounds removal from aqueous solution. The presence of the tyrosinase in the S. inermis ink was read at 280nm and the crude enzyme was purified by dialysis, ion exchange chromatography, and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The molecular weight of the purified enzyme was revealed as 30kDa through the SDS-PAGE analysis with 12% polyacrylamide gel. The optimum pH and temperature of the enzyme were found to be 6°C and 55°C respectively. The tyrosinase enzyme was immobilized with sodium alginate for the removal of phenolic contaminants in water. The accelerator with efficiency removed the phenols from the solution at intervals within a few hours. Hence, this study indicated that the isolated tyrosinase enzyme of S.inermis ink acts as an accelerator and could be used for the removal of hazardous phenol substances from wastewaters.