Polyacrylamide Gel-Entrapped Maltase: An Excellent Design of Using Maltase in Continuous Industrial Processes

Bacterial maltase catalyzes the hydrolysis of maltose and is known as one of the most significant hydrolases. It has several applications in different industrial processes but widely used in food fermentation technology and alcohol production. In the current study, entrapment technique was comprehensively examined using polyacrylamide gel as a matrix support to improve the stability and catalytic efficiency of maltase for continuous use. Maximum entrapment yield of maltase was achieved at 10 % polyacrylamide concentration with 3.0-mm bead size. Optimized conditions indicated an increase in the reaction temperature from 45 to 55 °C after maltase entrapment while no change was observed in the reaction time and pH. An increase in the Km value of entrapped maltase was attained whereas Vmax value decreased from 8411.0 to 6813.0 U ml−1 min−1 with reference to its free counterpart. Entrapped maltase showed remarkable thermal stability and retained 16 % activity at 70 °C even after 120.0 min. Entrapped maltase also exhibited excellent recycling efficiency up to eight consecutive reaction cycles. With respect to economic feasibility, entrapped maltase indicates its high potential to be used in various biotechnological applications.