Application Note - Biodegradable Polymers: Enzymatic Degradation

Biodegradable polymers are compounds that break down after their intended use, resulting in gases and carbon sources that microorganisms can digest. Applications that rely on their degradation include encapsulation for drug delivery, scaffolding for tissue engineering and regeneration, and orthopedics. Viscosity is a useful parameter for understanding the ability of natural enzymes, which are present in the human body and surrounding environment, to break down biodegradable polymers. In this application note, we investigate the degradation ability of multiple enzymes by performing shear viscosity measurements with the VROC^® initium one plus on degraded polycaprolactone (PCL) dissolved in chloroform (CHCl₃).

In this application note, we focus on the degradation of PCL in sodium phosphate buffer with two types of lipase enzymes that are common in the human body and the surrounding environment: lipase from Candida s.p. fungus, and amano lipase from Pseudomonas fluorescens bacteria.  

Fill out the short form to the right to download the full Application Note!