In this work the effects of diffusion on the hydrolysis of maltose using glucoamylase immobilized on macroporous silica at 30o C are studied. Two different kinds of experimental assays are carried out: one using free enzyme and the other using an enzyme covalently linked to macroporous silica, preactivated with glutaraldehyde. Free enzyme assays are used to estimate the kinetic parameters for hydrolysis of maltose at 30ºC, according to a Michaelis-Menten equation, with inhibition by the product. Runs with the immobilized enzyme enable us to estimate dextrin diffusivities in silica, assuming that the inherent kinetic parameters are equal to the intrinsic ones. The values of kinetic and mass transfer parameters are: K3 = 0.90x10-5 g/U.s, Km = 0.61x10-3 g/ml, Ki = 1.23x10-1 g/ml, DMs = 0.50x10-6 cm2 /s and DGs = 0.55x10-6 cm2 /s
Maltose hydrolysis; dextrin diffusivity; kinetic parameters
