Immobilization of endo-xylanase from Thermomyces lanuginosus PC7S1T for selective production of xylooligosaccharides from agricultural residues

Abstract Xylooligosaccharides (XOS) were produced from xylan-rich agricultural residues using endo-xylanase from Thermomyces lanuginosus PC7S1T immobilized on magnetic chitosan beads. The immobilized enzyme showed high immobilization yield (90.7%), efficiency (73.7%), and activity recovery (66.8%). Enhanced stability was observed, with 94% residual activity after 50 d at 4 °C and 54% after 10 reuse cycles, along with improved thermal (70–75 °C) and pH stability (pH 6.5). Immobilization altered the product profile, favoring xylotriose (X3) and xylotetraose (X4), whereas the free enzyme predominantly produced xylobiose (X2), highlighting its potential for prebiotic applications. Scanning electron microscopy confirmed effective substrate depolymerization. Toxicity assays using Artemia salina showed no significant differences in survival between XOS produced by free and immobilized enzymes ( p > 0.05), indicating low acute toxicity. Overall, these results reveal the potential of this immobilized system for sustainable and scalable production of prebiotic XOS from renewable biomass.