Lysozyme–Mineral Clay Systems: Comparison of Interaction for Controlled Release in Feed Application

A synthetic approach to bond lysozyme (LY) to commercial natural carriers, namely clay minerals (bentonite, BN; and sepiolite, SP) and commercial zeolite (Phil 75®, PH), already in use in feed formulation, is proposed. The synthetic route, which implies solid–liquid adsorption, is a simple and effective way for preparing hybrid materials characterized by LY loadings up to 37 mgLY/gcarrier. By operating at pH 4.3, initial LY content of 37.5 mgLY/gcarrier, and reaction time of 90 min, hybrid materials with LY loadings of 37, 35, and 12 mgLY/gcarrier for LY-SP, LY-BN, and LY-PH, respectively were obtained. The LY initial concentration and pH, as well as the physico-chemical properties of the carries were found to be the parameters that govern the synthesis of the materials. The driving force for an effective LY adsorption and interaction is the combined Zero Point Charge (ZPC) of the carriers, always negative (in the range between −4 and −170 mV) and the positive ZPC of LY, as well as the carrier morphology, characterized by mesoporosity (pore dimensions in the range of 5–12 nm). However, it is the interaction of charges of opposite sign that mainly affects LY loadings and bond strength. Based on SEM-EDX analysis, LY molecules are quite homogeneously spread onto the carriers’ surface. TG-DTG analyses showed that the LY–carrier interaction in the hybrid materials is stronger than that in a simple mechanical mixture of the components. Specifically, in the hybrid materials, the phenomenon at 300 °C, associated to LY decomposition, is broadened and slightly shifted towards higher temperatures (320–350 °C), whereas in a mechanical mixture of the same composition, it occurs at temperatures closer to those of free LY, as if there were no or very weak interactions. At pH 3, a very little LY release, 0.03 and 0.01 mgLY/gcarrier, was found for LY-BN and LY-PH, respectively. The latter became larger at pH 7, 0.06 mgLY/gcarrier for both BN and PH carriers, suggesting that BN and PH are better modulators of LY release. The paper provides insights for the study and the development of new optimized feed formulations for the targeted delivery of natural compounds with antimicrobial activity, alternatives to antibiotics, and vaccinal antigens.