Ultrasound Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Ultrasound, including details on screening, diagnosis, pregnancy, detection.

Are sonochemically prepared alpha-amylase protein microspheres biologically active?

Avivi Levi S, Gedanken A

Department of Chemistry and Kanbar Laboratory for Nanomaterials at the Bar-Ilan University Center for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 52900, Israel.

Using high-intensity ultrasound, we have synthesized alpha-amylase microspheres. The paper presented characterization as well as catalytic experiments of the sonochemically-produced microspheres. It also provided an estimate of the efficiency of the sonochemical process in converting the native protein to microspheres. These microspheres showed a very good enzymatic activity compared with the native alpha-amylase. The enzymatic activity of the amylase microspheres was 27% of that of the native protein after a short reaction time (3 min), while over a longer reaction time (1 h) it reached 56% of the activity of the native protein.

Published 29 August 2006 in Ultrason Sonochem, 14(1): 1-5.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 Ultrasound Research Today. All Rights Reserved.