USE OF BIOCATALYSIS AND PROTEASES IMMOBILIZATION TECHNOLOGY FOR WHEY VALORIZATION
enzyme immobilization; microbial proteases; SBA-15; whey.
The growing demand for sustainable processes in the food industry is driving the development of biotechnologies that promote the use of agro-industrial waste. In this context, this work proposes the immobilization of different proteases of microbial origin on distinct types of SBA-15 mesoporous silicas, aiming at the production of biocatalysts that will be applied to obtain protein hydrolysates from whey. Enzyme immobilization has been widely explored for its advantages in terms of stability, reusability, and control of the catalytic process. SBA-15 silica stands out as a promising support due to its high surface area, porous structure, and possibility of functionalization. In this study, due to the significant size of the proteases studied, expanded-pore mesoporous silicas will be synthesized using ammonium fluoride and trimethylbenzene in the support synthesis process, aiming at the immobilization of enzymes throughout the material's pores. The study will involve the physicochemical characterization of the produced supports, evaluation of immobilization efficiency through immobilization parameters, and determination of the enzymatic activity of soluble and immobilized enzymes. The produced biocatalysts will be evaluated for their catalytic potential, thermal stability, stability at different pHs, and loading capacity. Finally, the biocatalysts will be applied to whey hydrolysis, and the resulting hydrolysates will be analyzed for their degree of hydrolysis and antioxidant properties. The immobilized systems, especially those using SBA-15, are expected to exhibit superior performance in terms of stability and catalytic efficiency, contributing to the development of more economical and environmentally sound processes for the valorization of dairy byproducts