DE1808834

1,242,596. Enzyme compositions. PROCTER & GAMBLE CO. 15 Nov., 1968 [15 Nov., 1967], No. 54244/68. Heading C3H. [Also in Division C5] A stabilized aqueous enzyme preparation comprises by weight (a) from 65 to 97% water, (b) 0.001 to 1.0% protease or α-amylase or a mixture thereof, (c) 2 to 27% of one or more stabilizers selected from (1) monohydroxy alcohols containing 1 to 4 carbon atoms; (2) alkoxymonohydroxy alcohols of formula wherein R 1 is alkyl or alkoxyalkyl containing 1 to 8 carbon atoms and R 2 is an alkylene group of 1 to 4 carbon atoms; (3) dialkyl glycol ether of formula R 3 O[CH 2 CH 2 O] x R 4 wherein R 3 and R 4 are each alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms and x is 1 to 10; (4) heterocyclic oxyether in which the ether oxygen, together with the carbon atoms, forms a heterocyclic ring; (5) dialky formamides of formula HCO-N(R 3 )(R 4 ) wherein R 3 and R 4 are C 1 to C 4 alkyl; and (6) dialkylketones of formula R 3 -CO-R 4 wherein R 3 and R 4 are C 1 to C 4 alkyl and (d) up to 15% of a non-ionic detergent, a zwitterionic detergent or a mixture thereof. The enzymes may be alkaline proteases, e.g. subtilisin, elastase, keratinase, carboxypeptidase, amino peptidase, aspergillopeptidase A or B, and BPN1 (obtained from Bacillus subtilis); neutral proteases, e.g. collagenase, chymotrypsin and trypsin; acid proteases, e.g. pepsin, papain and bromelin; α-amylases from animal, cereal, bacterial or fungal sources. The pH may be from 5.0 to 10.0. A preservative such as phenyl mercuric acetate may be present.