A comparison of two enzymatic methods of clinical dextran production

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare of the two enzymatic methods of clinical dextran production were compared. The reactions were performed at 30°C and pH 5.4 in solutions containing different amounts of sucrose, using dextransucrase (DS, in the presence of dextranase (D) (method 1) or acceptor dextrans (method 2). The activity of Leuconostoc mesenteroides L dextransucrase (DS), which converts sucrose to dextran, was 0.4 U ml-1 in both the methods. As much as 53-56% of clinical dextran fractions were obtained for 28 h from 10% sucrose solutions, which contained 1.5% or 2.5% acceptor dextrans with molecular mass of 10 and 15 kDa, respectively. Approximately 50% of these fractions was obtained (also in 28 h) from 10% sucrose solutions by using 0.004 U ml-1 of DN, added to reaction mixtures 5 h later than Our experiments indicate that the clinical dextran can be efficiently produced by using both the compared methods, which employ either acceptor dextrans with definite molecular mass, or the dextranase. Because consumption of the latter enzyme is rather small, and it is easily available, thus this method should be attractive for clinical dextran manufacturers.