title: Effect of alternating magnetic field treatments on enzymatic parameters of cellulase.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cellulase is an enzyme of the glycosyl hydrolase family that catalyses the cleavage of β-1,4 glycosidic bonds in cellulose. In this study an alternating magnetic field was applied to evaluate cellulase activity using carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) as substrate.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The maximum and minimum activities of cellulase occurred when magnetic fields of 2.2 and 4.2 mT respectively were applied for 20 min. Following these treatments, the enzymatic parameters K(m) and V(m) were determined based on fitting to the Michaelis-Menten equations. Generally, K(m) showed the opposite trend to V(m) under magnetic field treatments. Treatment of enzyme/substrate solutions at 4.2 mT inhibited enzyme activity whereas treatment at 2.2 mT promoted it.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It appears that treating enzyme/substrate solutions with different magnetic fields can inhibit or promote enzyme activity. Further research is needed to determine how the magnetic field influences the enzyme and substrate.
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei 434025, China.
authors.forename: Jialan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Shaojin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Baoguo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Mengxiang
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D002266:Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002384:Catalysis; D002480:Cellulase / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D055590:Electromagnetic Phenomena; D060526:Magnetic Fields
chemical_list: D002480:Cellulase; D002266:Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium