Exploring the Hydrolysis of Sucrose by Invertase Using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy: A Flexible Package of Kinetic Experiments

Abstract

Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) is a viable alternative to current methods to introduce enzymatic reactions and monitor kinetics in the undergraduate curriculum. Using NMR to observe the invertase-catalyzed conversion of sucrose to fructose and glucose, one can gather information about the order of the reaction, as well as the maximum rate (vmax) and the Michaelis constant (KM). Kinetic parameters determined in this NMR study are comparable to the results obtained through polarimetry, the method often used to study this reaction at the undergraduate level. The breadth of information that NMR provides can give students a better understanding of the changes in reactant and product concentration over time, giving a visual connection to the rate law they derive.