Assessing enzyme performance under real industrial conditions remains a key barrier to the adoption of biocatalysts in textile processing.
Researchers from iBB, Luís C. de Sousa and Carla C. C. R. de Carvalho, developed a new analytical approach combining methylation and silylation to evaluate how effectively lipases act on textile materials.
Crucially, the approach was applied directly to textile substrates, including materials relevant to industrial settings such as spin-finished fabrics and stained textiles. This enabled the evaluation of enzyme performance under application-relevant conditions.
The results show that relying on a single method can overlook important aspects of enzyme activity. In contrast, combining methylation and silylation provides a more complete understanding of both fatty compound removal and enzymatic action.
By enabling the direct assessment of enzymes on textile materials, this work offers a practical tool to support the selection and optimisation of lipases for industrial processes, including more efficient detergent formulations.
Link to publication: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589014X2600157X