Encapsulated catalase from Serratia genus for H₂O₂ decomposition in food applications

The recombinant catalase isolated from a psychrotolerant microorganism belonging to Serratia genus exhibits a high activity in a wide range of pH. Due to a great catalytic potential in operational conditions, it can be used in various industrial applications whereby it acts as a hydrogen peroxide scavenger. To reduce the cost of biocatalyst the enzyme encapsulation into a hydrogel structure was proposed. The obtained results showed a high activity of encapsulated catalase in acidic conditions (pH in range 4.4 - 6.6) and at low temperatures (6-15°C). Moreover, immobilized catalase exhibited a high stability in natural media, especially in milk. Its activity during peroxide decomposition in milk, the possibility of re-using, as well as the fixed bed reactor performance confirmed wide application possibilities. High values of enzyme and substrate concentrations led to the beads burst due to rapid oxygen diffusion from the capsules, thus they are limited.