Novel biocatalyst derived from Araujia sericifera latex: Synthesis and applications

Biocatalysts with lipase activity are increasingly required in different industrial sectors since they promote a large number of reactions with high selectivity and yield under mild conditions, promoting the development of more sustainable processes. Lipases derived from the latex of laticiferous plants are receiving increasing attention because they are easy to obtain and inexpensive. In this work, we have studied the synthesis of biocatalysts with lipase activity through the entrapment of microparticles of Araujia sericifera latex in a cross-linked chitosan matrix. The effect of the chitosan solution concentration (3–15 ​mg/ml), the cross-linking agent solution concentration (0–0.5 ​mol/l), the cross-linking time (0–60 ​min), the weight ratio latex microparticles/chitosan (1:1–3:1 ​wt/weight) and the pH value of the capture medium at the time of adding the latex microparticles (3–6) on the synthesis and activity of biocatalysts was studied. The performance of the entrapped microparticles synthesized under optimal conditions was evaluated in hydrolysis, esterification, and transesterification reactions with extremely promising results. This new biocatalyst showed comparable activity to Novozym 435, but its chemical and mechanical stability was considerably higher. It could be a good competitor for this prestigious commercial biocatalyst. This study investigates the synthesis of biocatalysts with lipase activity using Araujia sericifera latex microparticles entrapped in a cross-linked chitosan matrix, exploring various parameters such as chitosan and cross-linking agent concentrations, cross-linking time, microparticles/chitosan weight ratio, and pH of the entrapping medium. The optimized biocatalyst exhibits comparable activity to Novozym 435 with significantly higher chemical and mechanical stability, suggesting its potential as a competitive alternative for industrial applications.