Enzymatic Degradation Behavior and Molecular Weight Regulation of Dextran: Empirical Modeling and Multi-Scale Structural Characterization

Li, Mei; Fan, Piaoran; Zhang, Yirui; Li, Ranran; Chen, Lemin; Zhang, Donghui; Zhong, Lei

doi:10.3390/cimb48070749

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Enzymatic Degradation Behavior and Molecular Weight Regulation of Dextran: Empirical Modeling and Multi-Scale Structural Characterization

by

Mei Li

^†,

Piaoran Fan

^†,

Yirui Zhang

,

Ranran Li

,

Lemin Chen

,

Donghui Zhang

and

Lei Zhong

^*

Guangxi Key Laboratory of Polysaccharide Materials and Modification, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guangxi Minzu University, Nanning 530006, China

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

^†

These authors contributed equally to this work.

Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2026, 48(7), 749; https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb48070749

Submission received: 12 June 2026 / Revised: 13 July 2026 / Accepted: 14 July 2026 / Published: 22 July 2026

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Dynamics Simulations in Structural Biology: From Proteins to Complex Biomolecular Systems)

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Abstract

To meet the demand for controlled production of low-molecular-weight (M_w < 10 kDa) dextran with potential pharmaceutical applications, this study developed an efficient enzymatic preparation process using PC-Edex, a dextranase derived from Penicillium cyclopium CICC-4022. The effects of enzyme concentration, substrate concentration, temperature, and pH on the degradation of high-molecular-weight dextran were systematically investigated, and the optimal process conditions were established. A staged empirical control strategy based on the Malhotra model was developed to investigate and predict the behavior of dextran molecular weight changes during enzymatic hydrolysis. Under the optimized conditions, dextran with an M_w below 10 kDa was produced within 60 min, with the mass fraction of fragments smaller than 10 kDa reaching 94.56 ± 0.32% and the degradation rate exceeding 98.96 ± 0.15%. The resulting product exhibited a narrow molecular weight distribution (M_w/M_n = 1.528 ± 0.03) and adopted a compact random-coil conformation in aqueous solution. Multi-scale characterization results indicated that enzymatic degradation altered only the molecular weight of dextran, while the backbone structure, amorphous nature, and thermal stability were preserved. These findings present a robust and reproducible laboratory-scale process, which provides a reference for the industrial production of low-molecular-weight dextran for pharmaceutical purposes.

Keywords: enzymatic degradation; dextran; low-molecular-weight dextran; process optimization; quality control

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MDPI and ACS Style

Li, M.; Fan, P.; Zhang, Y.; Li, R.; Chen, L.; Zhang, D.; Zhong, L. Enzymatic Degradation Behavior and Molecular Weight Regulation of Dextran: Empirical Modeling and Multi-Scale Structural Characterization. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2026, 48, 749. https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb48070749

AMA Style

Li M, Fan P, Zhang Y, Li R, Chen L, Zhang D, Zhong L. Enzymatic Degradation Behavior and Molecular Weight Regulation of Dextran: Empirical Modeling and Multi-Scale Structural Characterization. Current Issues in Molecular Biology. 2026; 48(7):749. https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb48070749

Chicago/Turabian Style

Li, Mei, Piaoran Fan, Yirui Zhang, Ranran Li, Lemin Chen, Donghui Zhang, and Lei Zhong. 2026. "Enzymatic Degradation Behavior and Molecular Weight Regulation of Dextran: Empirical Modeling and Multi-Scale Structural Characterization" Current Issues in Molecular Biology 48, no. 7: 749. https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb48070749

APA Style

Li, M., Fan, P., Zhang, Y., Li, R., Chen, L., Zhang, D., & Zhong, L. (2026). Enzymatic Degradation Behavior and Molecular Weight Regulation of Dextran: Empirical Modeling and Multi-Scale Structural Characterization. Current Issues in Molecular Biology, 48(7), 749. https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb48070749

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Enzymatic Degradation Behavior and Molecular Weight Regulation of Dextran: Empirical Modeling and Multi-Scale Structural Characterization

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