DEACTIVATION OF CELLULASE AND HEMICELLULASE IN HIGH-SHEAR FIELDS

The influence of the intensity of agitation, reaction time, and enzyme concentration on the deactivation of a cellulase and a hemicellulase was studied in turbulent mixing environments. The activity of the cell ulase and hemicellulase decreased with increasing shear rate and with elapsed mixing time. a sudden decrease in activity of cellulase after 10 minutes of mixing was observed. Although hemicellulase was found to be resistant to deactivation at a low shear rate, a higher shear rate deactivated the enzyme almost completely after 30 minutes. The influe nce of time on the reduction of activity was much more pronounced at h igher shear rates. It is concluded that high shear or prolonged exposu re to tow shear changes the molecular structures of the enzymes causin g denaturation. As the concentration of the enzyme is increased, the r ate of its deactivation can be expected to decrease.