Immobilization and characterization of naringinase for the hydrolysis of naringin

The degree of hydrolysis of naringin was investigated at various temperatures (40, 50, 60 °C), enzyme concentrations (0.01–0.30 mg ml⁻¹), and pH values (2.5–5.5) for naringinase enzyme. Naringinase was immobilized on celite by simple adsorption. Naringin content was determined by HPLC method. The degree of hydrolysis of naringin showed a linear increase up to an enzyme concentration of 0.2 mg ml⁻¹ that corresponds to 82% hydrolysis. The optimum values of pH for the hydrolysis of naringin were 4.0 for free and 3.5 for immobilized enzymes. Maximum enzyme activities were found to be 70 and 60 °C for free and immobilized enzymes, respectively. The values of K _m,app and V _max,app calculated were 1.22 mM and 0.45 μmol min⁻¹ mg enzyme⁻¹ for free and 2.16 mM and 0.3 μmol min⁻¹ mg enzyme⁻¹ for immobilized enzyme, respectively. The mathematical modelling was applied to the experimental data for hydrolysis of naringin as a function of time at 30, 40 and 50 °C. The increase in temperature from 30 to 50 °C increased the rate constant 3.09 times for free enzyme. However, the rate constants found for immobilized enzyme applications did not increase in a similar trend as a function of temperature. The retained activity of celite-adsorbed naringinase was found to be 83% at their optimum conditions. The retained activity of immobilized enzyme was followed up to the fifth run and was found to be almost unchanged after the third use at optimum reaction conditions (pH 3.5, 60 °C).