Functionalized electrospun nanofibers to enhance β-Galactosidase immobilization and catalytic activity for efficient galactooligosaccharide synthesis.

This study aimed to immobilize β-galactosidase (β-GAL) into enhanced polystyrene (PS) electrospun nanofiber membranes (ENMs) with functionalized graphene oxide (GO). Initially, GO sheets were functionalized by salinization with 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane (APTES). Then the ENMs (PS, PS/GO, and PS/GO-APTES) were prepared and characterized. Then, the β-GAL was immobilized in the different ENMs to produce the β-GAL-bound nanocomposites (PS-GAL, PS/GO-GAL, and PS/GO-APTES-GAL). Immobilization of β-GAL into PS/GO-APTES significantly improved enzyme adsorption by up to 87 %. Also, PS/GO-APTES-GAL improved the enzyme activity, where the highest enzyme activity was obtained at enzyme concentrations of 4 mg/L, 50 °C, and pH 4.5. Likewise, the storage stability and reusability of immobilized β-GAL were improved. Furthermore, this process led to enhanced catalytic behavior and transgalactosylation efficiency, where GOS synthesis (72 %) and lactose conversion (81 %) increased significantly compared to the free enzyme. Overall, the immobilized β-GAL produced in this study showed potential as an effective biocatalyst in the food industry.