Abstract

A new platform for chymotrypsin isolation from fresh bovine pancreas using an environmentally friendly polyelectrolyte: Alginate

Author(s): Caren Rausch, NadiaWoitovich Valetti, Guillermo PicO

The separation of chymotrypsin from a crude filtrate of fresh bovine pancreas homogenate was carried out using precipitation with a commercially available negatively charged natural weak polyelectrolyte: sodium alginate. The zymogen form of the enzyme was activated by the addition of trypsin at pH 8.2 in the absence of Ca++, then, the enzyme was precipitated by sodium alginate addition at pH 5.00. The non-soluble complex was separated by simple centrifugation and re-dissolved by a pH change to 8.20. The recovery of chymotrypsin biological activity was 36.1 % of the initial activity in the pancreas homogenate with a 3.2 fold increase in its specific activity. The volume of the final product decreased to 6.25 % of the initial feedstock, concentrating the sample up to 16 times.