Pressure Effects on Lignocellulose-Degrading Enzymes

The effect of elevated pressure on the activity and stability of industrially relevant lignocellulose-degrading enzymes and their mixtures was investigated. It was observed that even at moderate pressure the tested enzymes can be applied at higher temperature as at ambient pressure without significant activity loss. No negative influence of pressure on the enzyme stability was detected in the pressure range investigated. It can be concluded that pressure can improve the stability of lignocellulose-digesting enzymes, enabling higher reaction temperatures and, therefore, higher reaction rates. This might be a useful tool in industrial applications of lignocellulose-digesting enzymes.