Gastric carboxylesterases of the edible crab Cancer pagurus (Crustacea, Decapoda) can hydrolyze biodegradable plastics  

作　　者：Lukas Miksch Lars Gutow Reinhard Saborowski 

机构地区：[1]Alfred Wegener Institute,Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research,Am Handelshafen 12,27570,Bremerhaven,Germany

出　　处：《Emerging Contaminants》2024年第1期80-89,共10页新兴污染物（英文）

基　　金：This work was supported by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program(grant agreement number 860407).

摘　　要：A promising strategy to counteract the progressing plastic pollution of the environment can involve the replacement of persistent plastics with biodegradable materials.Biodegradable polymers are enzymatically degradable by various hydrolytic enzymes.However,these materials can reach the environment in the same way as conventional plastics.Therefore,they are accessible to terrestrial,freshwater,and marine biota.Once ingested by marine organisms,highly active enzymes in their digestive tracts may break down biodegradable compounds.We incubated microparticles of five different biodegradable plastics,based on polylactictic acid(PLA),polybutylene succinate(PBS),polybutylene adipate terephthalate(PBAT)and polyhydroxybutyrate-co-valerate(PHBV),in-vitro with the gastric fluid of the edible crab Cancer pagurus and evaluated the hydrolysis rates by pH Stat titration.A plastic blend of PLA with PBAT showed the highest hydrolysis rate.The enzymes in the gastric fluid of crabs were separated by anion exchange chromatography.Fractions with carboxylesterase activity were identified using fluorescent methylumbelliferyl(MUF)-derivatives.Pooled fractions with high carboxylesterase activity also hydrolyzed a PLA/PBAT plastic blend.Carboxylesterases showed molecular masses of 40–45 kDa as determined by native gel electrophoresis(SDS-PAGE).Our study demonstrated that digestive carboxylesterases in the gastric fluid of C.pagurus exhibit a high potential for hydrolyzing certain biodegradable plastics.Since esterases are common in the digestive tract of organisms,it seems likely that other invertebrates possess the ability to hydrolyze biodegradable plastics.

关 键 词：Biodegradable plastics Microplastics Crustaceans Ingestion ENZYMES Enzymatic degradation 

分 类 号：TQ32[化学工程—合成树脂塑料工业]