The current demands of sustainable green methodologies have increased the use of enzymatic technology in industrial processes. Employment of enzyme as biocatalysts offers the benefits of mild reaction conditions, biodegradability and catalytic efficiency. The harsh conditions of industrial processes, however, increase propensity of enzyme destabilization, shortening their industrial lifespan. Consequently, the technology of enzyme immobilization provides an effective means to circumvent these concerns by enhancing enzyme catalytic properties and also simplify downstream processing and improve operational stability. There are several techniques used to immobilize the enzymes onto supports which range from reversible physical adsorption and ionic linkages, to the irreversible stable covalent bonds. Such techniques produce immobilized enzymes of varying stability due to changes in the surface microenvironment and degree of multipoint attachment. Hence, it is mandatory to obtain information about the structure of the enzyme protein following interaction with the support surface as well as interactions of the enzymes with other proteins. Characterization technologies at the nanoscale level to study enzymes immobilized on surfaces are crucial to obtain valuable qualitative and quantitative information, including morphological visualization of the immobilized enzymes. These technologies are pertinent to assess efficacy of an immobilization technique and development of future enzyme immobilization strategies.

No abstract

No abstract

The interest in nanoscale emulsions has considerably grown in recent decades as a consequence of their specific attributes such as high stability, attractive appearance, in addition to high performance and sensorial advantage. In fact, it nanoemulsions are one of the major popular formulation systems in the pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical fields. The thermodynamic and high kinetic stability, besides the minute droplet size of nanoemulsions have spurred their rapid development as a system for delivery of bioactive substances/drugs in cosmetics and dermatological formulations. The composition and the technique of preparation very much define the quality of nanoemulsions. They are mainly targeted at high performance, product distribution to consumers, alongside the prospects of mass production. Formulators, however, do face certain limitations especially regarding the diffusion of active ingredients into the human skin. This review describes the popular techniques used by formulators in recent years to prepare nanoemulsions as final application products for cosmeceutical application. Correspondingly, an overview of characterisation technologies to differentiate between the micro and nanoemulsionsalongside their benchmarks in terms of their physical and thermodynamic stabilities, is also described in this review.

No abstract

No abstract

The unique cellular enzymatic machinery of halophilic microbes allows them to thrive in extreme saline environments. That these microorganisms can prosper in hypersaline environments has been correlated with the elevated acidic amino acid content in their proteins, which increase the negative protein surface potential. Because these microorganisms effectively use hydrocarbons as their sole carbon and energy sources, they may prove to be valuable bioremediation agents for the treatment of saline effluents and hypersaline waters contaminated with toxic compounds that are resistant to degradation. This review highlights the various strategies adopted by halophiles to compensate for their saline surroundings and includes descriptions of recent studies that have used these microorganisms for bioremediation of environments contaminated by petroleum hydrocarbons. The known halotolerant dehalogenase-producing microbes, their dehalogenation mechanisms, and how their proteins are stabilized is also reviewed. In view of their robustness in saline environments, efforts to document their full potential regarding remediation of contaminated hypersaline ecosystems merits further exploration.

No abstract