Urease-Loaded Liposomes as Detoxifying Microreactors: Effect of Ammonia Accumulation on Enzyme Kinetics

Abstract

A kinetic model was developed which describes the unsteady behaviour of liposomes entrapping the enzyme urease. The model allows to determine how the reactant concentrations, the internal pH and the catalytically active enzyme fraction vary with time. A numerical simulation carried out to elucidate die effects of die buffer pH and ionic strength on die active enzyme decay provided useful directions for die selection of die operating conditions to be used for die removal of urea by urease-loaded liposomes.