Regulation of enzyme activity is fundamentally challenging but practically meaningful for biology and medicine. However, noninvasive remote control of enzyme activity in living systems has been rarely demonstrated and exploited for therapy. Herein, we synthesize a semiconducting polymer nanoenzyme with photothermic activity for enhanced cancer therapy. Upon near-infrared (NIR) light irradiation, the activity of the nanoenzyme can be enhanced by 3.5-fold to efficiently digest collagen in the tumor extracellular matrix (ECM), leading to enhanced nanoparticle accumulation in tumors and consequently improved photothermal therapy (PTT). This study thus provides a promising strategy to remotely regulate enzyme activity for cancer therapy.

Semiconducting Polymer Nanoenzymes with Photothermic Activity for Enhanced Cancer Therapy.

Oils, fats, carbohydrates, lignin, and amino acids are all important raw materials for the production of biorenewables. These compounds already play an important role in everyday life in the form of wood, fabrics, starch, paper and rubber. Enzymatic reactions do, in principle, allow the transformation of these raw materials into biorenewables under mild and sustainable conditions. There are a few examples of processes using immobilised enzymes that are already applied on an industrial scale, such as the production of High-Fructose Corn Syrup, but these are still rather rare. Fortunately, there is a rapid expansion in the research efforts that try to improve this, driven by a combination of economic and ecological reasons. This review focusses on those efforts, by looking at attempts to use fatty acids, carbohydrates, proteins and lignin (and their building blocks), as substrates in the synthesis of biorenewables using immobilised enzymes. Therefore, many examples (390 references) from the recent literature are discussed, in which we look both at the specific reactions as well as to the methods of immobilisation of the enzymes, as the latter are shown to be a crucial factor with respect to stability and reuse. The applications of the renewables produced in this way range from building blocks for the pharmaceutical and polymer industry, transport fuels, to additives for the food industry. A critical evaluation of the relevant factors that need to be improved for large-scale use of these examples is presented in the outlook of this review.

/pdf/immobilised-enzymes-in-biorenewables-production-2o7j85mf8e.pdf

Immobilised enzymes in biorenewables production

Waste from non-degradable plastics is becoming an increasingly serious problem. Therefore, more and more research focuses on the development of materials with biodegradable properties. Bio-polymers are excellent raw materials for the production of such materials. Bio-based biopolymer films reinforced with nanostructures have become an interesting area of research. Nanocomposite films are a group of materials that mainly consist of bio-based natural (e.g., chitosan, starch) and synthetic (e.g., poly(lactic acid)) polymers and nanofillers (clay, organic, inorganic, or carbon nanostructures), with different properties. The interaction between environmentally friendly biopolymers and nanofillers leads to the improved functionality of nanocomposite materials. Depending on the properties of nanofillers, new or improved properties of nanocomposites can be obtained such as: barrier properties, improved mechanical strength, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties or thermal stability. This review compiles information about biopolymers used as the matrix for the films with nanofillers as the active agents. Particular emphasis has been placed on the influence of nanofillers on functional properties of biopolymer films and their possible use within the food industry and food packaging systems. The possible applications of those nanocomposite films within other industries (medicine, drug and chemical industry, tissue engineering) is also briefly summarized.

The Effect of Nanofillers on the Functional Properties of Biopolymer-based Films: A Review.

This review highlights the use of bromelain in various applications with up-to-date literature on the purification of bromelain from pineapple fruit and waste such as peel, core, crown, and leaves. Bromelain, a cysteine protease, has been exploited commercially in many applications in the food, beverage, tenderization, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and textile industries. Researchers worldwide have been directing their interest to purification strategies by applying conventional and modern approaches, such as manipulating the pH, affinity, hydrophobicity, and temperature conditions in accord with the unique properties of bromelain. The amount of downstream processing will depend on its intended application in industries. The breakthrough of recombinant DNA technology has facilitated the large-scale production and purification of recombinant bromelain for novel applications in the future.

/pdf/bromelain-an-overview-of-industrial-application-and-2zr0obrz08.pdf

Bromelain: an overview of industrial application and purification strategies.

Effect of halloysite nanoclay on the physical, mechanical, and antioxidant properties of chitosan films incorporated with clove essential oil.

Chitosan/clay nanocomposite films as supports for enzyme immobilization: An innovative green approach for winemaking applications

Lysozyme, a muramidase enzyme from egg whites (EC 3.2.1.17), is widely used in soluble form to control lactic acid bacteria in different foods. Moreover, hen egg white lysozyme is a hydrolytic enzyme that can be used to the control malolactic fermentation (MLF) during winemaking. MLF is only desirable in red and in some white wine, this suggest that MLF is at fault and needs to be controlled in all other types of wine. Lysozyme exhibits selective antimicrobial activity based on the hydrolysis of peptidoglycan cell wall constituents in lactic acid bacteria. In the last decade, several studies identified allergic reactions due to the presence of lysozyme in food. Given this relatively high incidence of lysozyme sensitization, and in accordance with the recently changed EC food legislation (1266/2010/CE), the use of lysozyme as an additive has to be declared on the ingredient label. To overcome this problem, the immobilization of the enzyme on insoluble supports, which allows the enzyme to be removed, has been the preferred strategy. In this context, this article offers a review of reports on lysozyme enological use over the last decade. It surveys the immobilization techniques and support materials used for lysozyme food preservation. This study attempts to provide useful guidance from the wealth of available immobilization data in the literature and, more importantly, to develop an integrated perspective on how to customize lysozyme for future enological uses.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/1541-4337.12102

Katia Liburdi

Papers

Chitosan/clay nanocomposite films as supports for enzyme immobilization: An innovative green approach for winemaking applications

Lysozyme in Wine: An Overview of Current and Future Applications

Immobilized lysozyme for the continuous lysis of lactic bacteria in wine: Bench-scale fluidized-bed reactor study

Lysozyme immobilized on chitosan beads: Kinetic characterization and antimicrobial activity in white wines

Bromelain from pineapple stem in alcoholic–acidic buffers for wine application