Immobilization and characterization of carbonic anhydrase purified from E. coli MO1 and its influence on CO2 sequestration.

The present investigation entails the immobilisation and characterisation of Escherichia coli MO1-derived carbonic anhydrase (CA) and its influence on the transformation of CO2 to CaCO3. CA was purified from MO1 using a combination of Sephadex G-75 and DEAE cellulose column chromatography, resulting in 4.64-fold purification. The purified CA was immobilised in chitosan-alginate polyelectrolyte complex (C-A PEC) with an immobilisation potential of 94.5 %. Both the immobilised and free forms of the enzyme were most active and stable at pH 8.2 and at 37 °C. The K(m) and V(max) of the immobilised enzyme were found to be 19.12 mM and 416.66 µmol min⁻¹ mg⁻¹, respectively; whereas, the K(m) and V(max) of free enzyme were 18.26 mM and 434.78 µmol min⁻¹ mg⁻¹, respectively. The presence of metal ions such as Cu²âº, Fe²âº, and Mg²âº stimulated the enzyme activity. Immobilised CA showed higher storage stability and maintained its catalytic efficiency after repeated operational cycles. Furthermore, both forms of the enzyme were tested for targeted application of the carbonation reaction to convert CO2 to CaCO3. The amounts of CaCO3 precipitated over free and immobilised CA were 267 and 253 mg/mg of enzyme, respectively. The results of this study show that immobilised CA in chitosan-alginate beads can be useful for CO2 sequestration by the biomimetic route.

Potential probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum VSG3 improves the growth, immunity, and disease resistance of tropical freshwater fish, Labeo rohita.

The study evaluated the effects of dietary doses of Lactobacillus plantarum VSG3 on the growth performance, immunity, and disease resistance of Labeo rohita juveniles against Aeromonas hydrophila infection. Fish (mean body weight 60 g) were fed with diet containing 0 (control), 10(6), 10(8), 10(10) cfu g(-1)L. plantarum VSG3 for 60 days. Various growth and immune parameters were examined at 30 and 60 days of post-feeding. Fish were challenged with A. hydrophila 60 days post-feeding and mortalities were recorded over 10 days post-infection. Results showed that administration of VSG3 for 60 days had significant effects (P < 0.05) on the specific growth rate (SGR) and feed utilization efficiency of L. rohita. Dietary administration of L. plantarum VSG3 significantly increased the serum lysozyme and alternative complement pathway (ACP) activities, phagocytosis and respiratory burst activity in L. rohita throughout the experimental period. The highest superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity (P < 0.05) was observed in the fish group fed diet containing VSG3 at 10(8) cfu g(-1). The serum IgM levels were significantly higher in the experimental groups compared to the control group after 30 days of feeding; but, the result was opposite after 60 days of feeding. Further, fish fed the diet containing 10(8) cfu g(-1)L. plantarum VSG3 had significantly higher (P < 0.05) post-challenge survival rate (77.7%). These results collectively suggest that dietary supplementation of L. plantarum VSG3 at 10(8) cfu g(-1) to L. rohita is optimal for enhancing the growth, immunity, and disease resistance against A. hydrophila infection.

Immobilization of carbonic anhydrase enzyme purified from Bacillus subtilis VSG-4 and its application as CO(2) sequesterer.

The purification, immobilization, and characterization of carbonic anhydrase (CA) secreted by Bacillus subtilis VSG-4 isolated from tropical soil have been investigated in this work. Carbonic anhydrase was purified using ammonium sulfate precipitation, Sephadex-G-75 column chromatography, and DEAE-cellulose chromatography, achieving a 24.6-fold purification. The apparent molecular mass of purified CA obtained by SDS-PAGE was found to be 37 kD. The purified CA was entrapped within a chitosan-alginate polyelectrolyte complex (C-A PEC) hydrogel for potential use as an immobilized enzyme. The optimum pH and temperature for both free and immobilized enzymes were 8.2 and 37°C, respectively. The immobilized enzyme had a much higher storage stability than the free enzyme. Certain metal ions, namely, Co(2+), Cu(2+), and Fe(3+), increased the enzyme activity, whereas CA activity was inhibited by Pb(2+), Hg(2+), ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA), 5,5'-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid (DTNB), and acetazolamide. Free and immobilized CAs were tested further for the targeted application of the carbonation reaction to convert CO(2) to CaCO(3). The maximum CO(2) sequestration potential was achieved with immobilized CA (480 mg CaCO(3)/mg protein). These properties suggest that immobilized VSG-4 carbonic anhydrase has the potential to be used for biomimetic CO(2) sequestration.

Purification and partial characterization of a detergent and oxidizing agent stable alkaline protease from a newly isolated Bacillus subtilis VSG-4 of tropical soil.

An extracellular detergent tolerant protease producing strain VSG-4 was isolated from tropical soil sample and identified as Bacillus subtilis based on morphological, biochemical characteristics as well as 16S-rRNA gene sequencing. The VSG-4 protease was purified to homogeneity using ammonium sulphate precipitation, dialysis and sephadex G-200 gel permeation chromatography with a 17.4 purification fold. The purified enzyme was active and stable over a broad range of pH (8.0-11.0, optimum at 9.0) and temperature (40°C to 60°C, optimum at 50°C). The thermostability of the enzyme was significantly increased by the addition CaCl(2). This enzyme was strongly inhibited by PMSF and DFP, suggesting that it belongs to the serine protease superfamily. The purified VSG-4 alkaline protease showed remarkable stability in anionic (5 mM SDS) and ionic (1% Trion X-100 and 1% Tween 80) detergents. It retained 97±2% and 83.6±1.1% of its initial activity after 1 h preincubation in the presence of 1 % H(2)O(2) and 1 % sodium perborate, respectively. Furthermore, the purified enzyme showed excellent stability and compatibility with some commercial laundry detergents besides its stain removal capacity. Considering these promising properties, VSG-4 protease may find tremendous application in laundry detergent formulations.