Enzymatic breakdown of water insoluble substrates

Abstract

Abstract The kinetic behavior of the enzymatic breakdown of crosslinked dextran (Sephadex) by a dextranase from Penicillium funiculosum was investigated as a model for enzymatic degradation of insoluble materials. A theoretical model is developed for the description of an enzymatic reaction on an insoluble substrate. Experimental data are compared to those predicted by the model which are calculated by using independently determined parameter‐values such as the Michael is constants, effective pore radius of the particles, and the Stokes radius of the enzymes. Fairly good agreement was found between the theoretical analysis and the experimental data.