Biological enzyme is a non-toxic, environmentally friendly biological catalyst whose chemical essence is protein. Humans have a very long history of using biological enzymes. As early as 6,000 years ago, the Babylonians used malt to brew beer-like beverages. 5,000 years ago, the Babylonians knew how to convert ethanol into vinegar, and the Arabs used sheep stomach membrane rennet to make cheese. The ancestors of our country also have a very long history of using enzymes. Before the Qin and Han Dynasties, people had mastered the method of making delicious bean paste. The concept of enzymes was gradually formed around the 19th century through research on gastrointestinal digestion, saccharification of malt, and ethanol fermentation of yeast. In 1878, German physiologist Kühne proposed the concept of "enzyme", which in Greek means present in yeast. 20 Century 50 There was no amazing development in the enzyme preparation industry before the 1990s, but the discovery and industrial production of penicillin promoted the modern fermentation industry, which also triggered and promoted the development of the enzyme preparation industry and application industry. In the 1960s and 1970s, enzymology research and enzyme engineering research developed rapidly. The development and industrialization of enzyme sources became an important research content in the middle and late 20th century, especially the breeding, fermentation, separation and purification technologies of different enzyme source microorganisms. Huge development. Restriction endonuclease, DNA polymerase, DNA The discovery and application of tool enzymes such as ligases and exonucleases, as well as their industrialization, have laid a solid foundation for the development of genetic engineering for gene recombination and heterologous expression, as well as the development of protein engineering and metabolic engineering. In the 1960s and 1970s, genetic engineering methods were used to increase the enzyme production of microorganisms, which has been successfully used in the industrial production of enzyme preparations. The modern enzyme preparation industry and corresponding application industries have gradually formed.

The production and application of enzymes has a history of more than 80 years at home and abroad. In the 1980s, bioengineering, as an emerging technology, has developed rapidly in my country. The manufacturing and application fields of enzymes have gradually expanded. Enzymes have played an important role in the textile industry. The application of enzymes is also becoming more and more mature. In the past, it was mainly used for desizing of cotton fabrics and degumming of silk. Its main application in various fields of textile dyeing and finishing reflects the superiority of biological enzymes in the dyeing and finishing industry. Enzyme treatment process has been recognized as a green production process that meets environmental protection requirements. It not only improves and improves the wearing performance of textiles, but also has the advantages of being non-toxic, harmless, low dosage, biodegradable wastewater, and pollution-free. Conducive to the protection of ecological and environmental protection. Biological enzymes are widely used in textile, petroleum, papermaking, food processing, pollution control and other fields. At the same time, biological enzymes are also used in the field of indoor decoration pollution control to eliminate odors, formaldehyde, etc. produced by indoor decoration through catalysis, phagocytosis, decomposition, etc. pollute.

Structural properties

Biological enzymes are proteins with catalytic functions. Like other proteins, enzyme molecules are composed of long chains of amino acids. Some of the chains are in a helical shape, and some are in a folded sheet structure. The two parts are connected by unfolded amino acid chains, making the entire enzyme molecule a specific three-dimensional structure. Biological enzymes are produced from living organisms and have special catalytic functions. Their characteristics are as follows: High efficiency: Using enzymes as catalysts, the catalytic efficiency of enzymes is 10^7~10^13 times that of general inorganic catalysts.

Specificity: An enzyme can only catalyze the chemical reaction of one type of substance, that is, an enzyme is a catalyst that can only promote specific compounds, specific chemical bonds, and specific chemical changes.

Low reaction conditions: Enzyme-catalyzed reactions do not require severe conditions such as high temperature, high pressure, strong acid, and strong alkali as general catalysts, but can be carried out at milder normal temperatures and normal pressures. In addition, some special enzymes have a catalytic efficiency of up to 100% under specific conditions. Maximum value, such as pepsin acting under acidic conditions of gastric juice.

Volatile deactivation: The secondary and tertiary structure of the enzyme protein changes when affected by factors such as ultraviolet light, heat, rays, surfactants, metal salts, strong acids, strong bases and other chemical reagents such as oxidants and reducing agents. . Therefore, in large-scale production, the enzyme can be recycled if conditions permit.

Can reduce the reaction activation energy of biochemical reactions: As a catalyst, enzymes can increase the rate of chemical reactions. The main reason is to reduce the activation energy of the reaction, making the reaction easier to proceed. Moreover, the enzyme is theoretically not consumed before and after the reaction, so it can be recycled.

Mechanism of action

The difference between enzyme proteins and other proteins is that enzymes have active centers. Enzymes can be divided into four-level structures: the primary structure is the sequence of amino acids; the secondary structure is the plane space conformation of the peptide chain; the tertiary structure is the three-dimensional space conformation of the peptide chain; the quaternary structure is the non-covalent bonding of the peptide chain. Combine with each other to form complete protein molecules. What really plays a decisive role is the primary structure of the enzyme, and its changes will change the properties of the enzyme (inactivation or denaturation). The mechanism of action of enzymes is relatively recognized as Koshland's "induced fit" theory. Its main content is: when the substrate binds to the active site of the enzyme, the conformation of the enzyme changes. Correct orientation of the catalytic groups is necessary for catalytic action. The substrate induces conformational changes in the enzyme protein, leading to the correct positioning of the catalytic group and the binding of the substrate to the active site of the enzyme. Heavy metal ions will bind to the active site and deactivate the enzyme.