Improving the shelf life of enzymes by storage under anhydrous apolar solvent

Summary

A property characteristic of a large number of enzymes is their low shelf stability at ambient temperatures. The denaturation of these biomolecules is promoted by processes facilitated by water. A study has been carried out on the storage of a few enzymes stored in three different dry states: lyophilized in air in a sealed vessel, in dry heptane (predried over molecular sieves) or in dry heptane in the presence of molecular sieves. Pronounced improvements in storage stability at elevated temperatures were found when the enzymes were stored under strictly anhydrous conditions (i.e. in the presence of molecular sieves) as compared to when the enzyme was stored in what is regarded as a dry state.