Antibacterial Activity of Lysozyme-Galactomannan Conjugate against Escherichia coli

Lysozyme was covalentyl conjugated with galactomannan through a amino-carbonyl reaction between the lysine $\varepsilon$-amino groups of lysozyme and the reducing ends of galactomannan at a relative humidity of 79% and 6$0^{\circ}C$. The resulting lysozyme-galactomannan conjugate (LGC) was investigated for its antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli. Lysozyme alone did not exhibit antibacterial activity against E. coli. in contrast , significant bactericidal effect was observed for LGC, depending on the reaction temperature. The degree of conjugation between lysozyme and galactomannan was dependent on the incubation time, which affected the antibacterial efficiency against E. coli. This study demonstrated that the amino-carbonyl reaction between lysozyme and galactomannan could be a potential tool to modify lysozyme toward broadening its antibacterial spectrum to Gram-negative bacteria.