Influence of microwave irradiation on enzyme kinetics

The in vitro effect of 2.45 GHz microwave irradiation on porcine pepsin activity under controlled temperature and absorbed microwave power via kinetic parameters was evaluated. Kinetic study with respect of time of irradiation demonstrated the existence of an inactivation effect of microwaves at pH 2 on pepsin molecule. Bovine serum albumin (BSA)-bromphenol blue (BPB) complex was used as substrate for the assay of pepsin by kinetic method. Depending on absorbed microwave dose, the degree of caused inactivation varies from 39.11 to 45.91% for 5 and 20 min of pepsin MW irradiation, respectively. The V _maxapp and K _mapp were calculated for low (5 min of MW irradiation) and higher specific absorbed dose (20 min of MW irradiation), as well as for untreated enzyme, from double reciprocal Lineweaver-Burk plot. The effect of microwaves on substrate (BSA-BPB complex) was also investigated. For reaction performed with MW irradiated substrate for 5 min the reaction rate was decreased for 15.15%, while for 20 min of substrate irradiation reaction rate was decreased for 25.52% compared to the control reaction. The article is published in the original.