High performance biocatalyst based on β-d-galactosidase immobilized on mesoporous silica/titania/chitosan material

•Novel chitosan/silica/titania support for β-galactosidase immobilization.•Planning the texture and morphology of the support for enzyme immobilization.•High activity and stable biocatalyst for application in lactose hydrolysis.•Potential biocatalyst for application in the food industry. A new support for the immobilization of β-d-galactosidase from Kluyveromyces lactis was developed, consisting of mesoporous silica/titania with a chitosan coating. This support presents a high available surface area and adequate pore size for optimizing the immobilization efficiency of the enzyme and, furthermore, maintaining its activity. The obtained supported biocatalyst was applied in enzyme hydrolytic activity tests with o-NPG, showing high activity 1223 Ug−1, excellent efficiency (74%), and activity recovery (54%). Tests of lactose hydrolysis in a continuous flow reactor showed that during 14 days operation, the biocatalyst maintained full enzymatic activity. In a batch system, after 15 cycles, it retained approximately 90% of its initial catalytic activity and attained full conversion of the lactose 100% (±12%). Additionally, with the use of the mesoporous silica/titania support, the biocatalyst presented no deformation and fragmentation, in both systems, demonstrating high operational stability and appropriate properties for applications in food manufacturing.