Industrial applications of

enzymes
Industrial applications of enzymes
• Laundry detergents-addition of lipase, protease, and amylase to
detergents allowed the use of lower temperatures, and the better
removal of specific stains. There has been continual development of
enzyme detergents with increased activity at low and high
temperatures and at alkaline pH values.
• Textile industry has used alkaline proteases for degumming silk,
removing a protein from the outside of the silk fibres (Gupta et al.,
2002). Pectinases used to remove cell-wall components from cotton
fibres and glucose oxidase used to bleach the fibres. Cellulases have
been used to treat denim garments as an alternative to
stonewashing in a process known as biostoning (Belghith et al.,
2001).
• Leather Replacement of the chemical processes by enzymes should
have considerable advantages. Proteases have been used to de-hair
hides and lipase to remove fat.
• Paper Cellulases have been used to assist pulping, and to de-ink
paper. Laccase enzymes that attack lignin have been used to bleach
pulp as an alternative to chlorine bleach (Kirk et al., 2002).
 Extremophiles
• The microorganisms found in extreme conditions of
temperature, salt, and pressure belong to the
domains of Bacteria and Archaea, but the majority-
are the Archaea.
• Clearly these types of micro-organism will contain
enzymes that can function under extreme
conditions. e.g Thermus aquaticus (Taq polymerase
enzyme for PCR)
• …
 Enzymes from Extremophiles
• (Eichler, 2001; Haki and Rakshit, 2003; Huber
and Stetter, 1998).