Further stabilization of lipase from Pseudomonas fluorescens immobilized on octyl coated nanoparticles via chemical modification with bifunctional agents

The lipase from Pseudomonas fluorescens (PFL) was adsorbed on superparamagnetic NiZnFe2O4 octyl-nanoparticles via interfacial activation, producing the biocatalyst OCTYL-NANO-PFL. In order to further improve the stability of the immobilized lipase, the immobilized enzyme biocatalyst was chemically modified with different concentrations of diverse bifunctional molecules (glutaraldehyde (GA), divinylsulfone (DVS) or p-benzoquinone (BQ)). The concentrations of bifunctional agents were varied (0.5, 1, 2.5 and 5% (v/v for GA and DVS and w/v for BQ)). The results showed a greatly improved stability after chemical modification with all bifunctional molecules, mainly with 5% (v/v) GA or 1% (v/v) DVS. The biocatalysts OCTYL-NANO-PFL-GA 5% and -DVS 1% were about 60 folds more stable at pH 7 than the unmodified preparation and, at pH 5, >200 folds for 5% GA modified enzyme. The most stable BQ treated biocatalysts, OCTYL-NANO-PFL-BQ 0.5%, was about 8.3 more stable than OCTYL-NANO-PFL at pH 7, while was 20 fold more stable at pH 9. •New NiZnFe2O4 nanoparticles coated with octyl have been prepared and characterized.•PFL has been immobilized on the nanoparticles with high activity recovery.•Treatment with glutaraldehyde, divinyl sulfone or p-benzoquinone permitted to improve enzyme stability.•The stabilization depends on the inactivation pH.•Effective intermolecular crosslinking of immobilized PFL with all reagents was found.