Rheology of carboxymethyl cellulose solutions treated with cellulases

Jung Myoung Lee, John A. Heitmann, Joel J. Pawlak

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

14 Scopus citations

Abstract

The effect of cellulase treatments on the rheology of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) solutions was studied using a rotational viscometer. The rheological behaviors of CMC solutions of different molecular mass and degrees of substitution where studied as a function of time after various treatments. These solutions were subjected to active and heat-denatured cellulase, a cationic polyelectrolyte (C-PAM), as well as different shear rates. A complex protein-polymer interaction was observed, leading to a potential error source in the measurement of enzymatic activity by changes in the intrinsic viscosity. The interaction was termed a polymeric effect and defined as a reduction in viscosity of the substrate solution without significant formation of reducing sugars from enzymatic hydrolysis. The cause of the reduction in viscosity appears to be related to the interaction between the enzymes as amphipathic particles and the soluble CMC. Thus, the polymeric effect may cause a considerable experimental error in the measurement of enzymatic activity by viscometric methods.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)20-33
Number of pages14
JournalBioResources
Volume2
Issue number1
StatePublished - 2007

Keywords

  • Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)
  • Cellulase
  • Endoglucanase activity
  • Polymeric effects
  • Rotational viscometer
  • Thermal denaturation
  • Viscosity

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