Issue 2, 2023

Marine chitin upcycling with immobilized chitinolytic enzymes: current state and prospects

Abstract

Chitinases, β-N-acetylglucosaminidases, chitin deacetylases and chitosanases enable ecofriendly enzymic conversion of chitin and its derivative, chitosan, into low-molecular weight sugars known as chitooligosaccharides (COSs). Based on their origin, COSs are biocompatible natural compounds with pronounced biological activity and are promising green precursor materials for biomedical, pharmaceutical and other biotechnological applications of high market and social value. In pioneering attempts, chitinolytic enzymes were used in free form in reactors for chitin and/or chitosan degradation, but poor enzyme stability and the difficulty of recycling the biocatalyst at the end of the process were identified as significant technological drawbacks. More recently, enzyme immobilization on macro- or microscopic carrier particles was attempted, in order to improve protein stability and recovery. In this tutorial review, fundamental aspects of enzyme immobilization on feasible carrier systems are described and state-of-the-art applications of the methodology for sustainable biocatalytic processing of chitin and chitosan biomass into chitosugar-based speciality chemicals are summarized.

Graphical abstract: Marine chitin upcycling with immobilized chitinolytic enzymes: current state and prospects

Article information

Article type
Tutorial Review
Submitted
28 maj 2022
Accepted
05 dec 2022
First published
08 dec 2022

Green Chem., 2023,25, 467-489

Marine chitin upcycling with immobilized chitinolytic enzymes: current state and prospects

A. Charoenpol, D. Crespy, A. Schulte and W. Suginta, Green Chem., 2023, 25, 467 DOI: 10.1039/D2GC02013K

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements