Abstract

Enzymes have been used to improve the cleaning efficiency and fabric care benefits of detergents for several years, and are now well accepted as ingredients in a wide range of product formats. The main challenge with enzymes in laundry detergents is that they can lose activity over time. With the global rise of liquid laundry detergents, formulators need to balance the shelf stability of the enzymes against destabilizing effects of anionic surfactants and other chemicals. Recently, much effort has been invested to improve enzyme stability by means of protein engineering. This article reports on the development of a structurally stable protease that opens up avenues for the formulator to improve the aged cleaning performance of the liquid detergent or use alternative chemical stabilizers.