Customizing the spent coffee for Trichoderma reesei cellulase immobilization by modification with activating agents

Abstract

This study has explored the possibility to reuse the waste, spent coffee material for the cellulase enzyme immobilization. By the coffee surface modification with different activating agents, it was attempted to develop the convenient method for creation of a capable porous carrier for this purpose. Among the most common activating agents, glutaraldehyde, chlorine dioxide and hydrogen peroxide provided the most acceptable choice for the coffee surface modification. The changes that occurred on the coffee surface due to agents' treatment exposure were recorded by using of the FTIR spectra and SEM micrographs. The highest immobilization yield (55%) and immobilization efficiency (45%) were attained during 30min of the treatment time, by employing of 30% chlorine dioxide aqueous solution within 6mL/g activator/carrier ratio. The kinetic process was found to be predicted by the pseudo-second-order model. The cellulase immobilization onto the coffee surface provides an excellent base for increasing the enzyme availability to the substrate and enhancing the enzyme productivity, by offering the new perspectives to the industrial sector.

Keywords: Cellulase; Immobilization; Spent coffee.