METHODS, APPLICATIONS OF IMMOBILIZED ENZYMES-A MINI REVIEW

Reports on chemical immobilization of proteins and enzymes first appeared in the 1960s. Since then, immobilized proteins and enzymes have been widely used in the processing of variety of products and increasingly used in the field of medicine. Here, we present a review of recent developments in immobilized enzyme use in medicine. Immobilized enzymes are widely used for variety of applications. Based on the type of application, the method of immobilization and support material can be selected. The immobilized enzymes can be separated from the reaction mixture and reused and also immobilized in order to prevent the enzyme from being exposed to harsh conditions, high temperature, surfactants, and oxidizing agents etc. the immobilized enzymes are also widely used in food industry, pharmaceutical industry, bioremediation, detergent industry, textile industry, etc. Enzyme immobilization improves the operational stability and is also due to the increased enzyme loading which causes the controlled diffusion. Several hundreds of enzymes are immobilized and used for various large scale industries. Immobilization technique reduces the effluent treatment costs and this paper reviews the methods and applications of immobilized enzymes.