Lipase-catalyzed esterification of glycerol and oleic acid

The enzymatic synthesis of glycerides from glycerol and oleic acid in organic solvent was studied, and the optimal conditions for glyceride synthesis by lipases were established. Of the commercially available lipases that were investigated, Candida rugosa lipase and porcine pancreas lipase resulted in the highest extent of esterification. Iso-octane and hexane were particularly useful organic solvents in glyceride synthesis. The water content in the reaction mixture was of primary importance. For C. rugosa lipase and porcine pancreas lipase, the optimal water contents were 5 and 1%, respectively. Candida rugosa lipase and porcine pancreas lipase manifested contrasting positional specificities in glyceride synthesis.     

Enzymatic alcoholysis of triolein to produce wax ester

An alcoholysis reaction between triolein and oleyl alcohol catalyzed by Lipozyme and Novozyme was carried out to produce oleyl oleate, a wax ester. The effects of various reaction parameters such as time, reaction temperature, amount of enzyme, molar ratio of substrates (oleyl alcohol/triolein), various organic solvents used and the initial water activity, a_w of the reaction system were studied. The best conditions tested to produce wax ester were respectively, incubation time, 5 h; temperature, 50 °C for Lipozyme and 60 °C for Novozyme; weight of enzyme, 0.30 g and molar ratio of oleyl alcohol to triolein, 6:1. The use of organic solvents greatly influenced the activity of lipase. Generally, the activity of lipase was high in nonpolar solvents with log P values greater than 2.50. Heptane and hexane were the best solvents tested. The enzymatic synthesis of oleyl oleate was best carried out at a_w 0.32. Analysis of the yield of the products of the reaction at optimized reaction condition using Lipozyme showed that 75.66% oleyl oleate was produced. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry     

Extraction of Candida rugosa lipase from aqueous solutions into organic solvents by forming an ion‐paired complex with AOT

Candida rugosa lipase was extracted from aqueous solutions into organic solvents by forming an ion‐paired complex with sodium bis(2‐ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate (AOT). The optimal aqueous pH for lipase recovery was 4.5 and the optimal CaCl₂ concentration was 10 mmol dm^?3. The lipase recovery decreased with increasing aqueous enzyme concentration but increased with increasing AOT concentration in the organic phase. The presence of polar co‐solvents in the aqueous phase did not obviously improve the lipase recovery, which was also little influenced by the type of hydrophobic organic solvent used for solubilising AOT. Surprisingly, no detectable activity of the ion‐paired C. rugosa lipase was observed for both the esterification of lauric acid with 1‐propanol in isooctane and the hydrolysis of olive oil in isooctane containing an appropriate amount of water. The ion‐paired C. rugosa lipase mediated the enantioselective crystallisation of racemic ketoprofen in isooctane, indicating the feasibility of using it as a chiral mediator for the enantioseparation of hydrophobic racemic compounds in organic systems. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry     

Esterification patterns of lipases for synthesizing tricaproylglycerols in organic solvent

To investigate the synthetic patterns of triglyceride (triacylglycerol) by lipases in organic solvent, esterification patterns of triglyceride, diglyceride, and monoglyceride were monitored at various reaction times with 10 lipases. As a model study, tricaprin was synthesized from glycerol and capric acids (C_10:0) in isooctane. Lipases that were known to give nonspecific hydrolysis in aqueous solvent, such as lipase from Candida cylindracea, Lipase OF-360 (from C. rugosa), and Lipase MY (C. rugosa) showed nonspecific synthesis of tricaprin in organic solvent (Group I). There are two groups for esterifying trigly cerides in organic solvent with 1,3-specific lipases: one consists of the lipases from Rhizomucor miehei, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Lipase PS), and Chromobacterium viscosum (Lipase CV) (Group II), and another (Group III) is represented by Lipase AP (Aspergillus niger), Lipase FAP-15 (Rhizopus javanicus), and Lipase D (R. delemar). Although both groups showed 1,3-specific hydrolysis in aqueous solvent, Group III has stricter 1,3-specificity for the synthesis of tricaprin from dicaprin.     

Acylation of glucose catalysed by lipases in supercritical carbon dioxide

The acylation of glucose with lauric acid in a reaction catalysed by two Candida lipases and a Mucor miehei lipase in supercritical carbon dioxide (SCCO₂) was investigated. A linear dependence of the reaction rate on enzyme concentration was observed. Studies on the effect of temperature on enzyme activity showed that Candida antarctica lipase remains stable at temperatures as high as 70°C. Non-immobilised Candida rugosa lipase was found to have a temperature optimum at 60°C. The acylation reaction rate depended on the initial water activity of both substrates and enzyme; the optimum was 0·75 for Candida antarctica lipase, 0·53 for Candida rugosa lipase, and between 0·3 and 0·5 for Mucor miehei lipase. Candida rugosa lipase was most active at a molar ratio of sugar: acyl donor of 1: 3, while the optimum ratio was found to increase to 1: 6 when the reaction was catalysed by Candida antarctica and Mucor miehei lipases. © 1998 SCI     

Synthesis of fatty esters by polyethylene glycol-modified lipase

Monomethoxypolyethylene glycols (PEG) of molecular masses 1900 and 5000 were activated using p-nitrophenyl chloroformate to form PEG–nitrophenyl carbonates (activated PEG) with high yield (96–98%). The activated PEG was covalently attached to Candida rugosa lipase. Increasing the molar ratio of activated PEG to the enzyme increased the degree of lipase modification. These modified lipases exhibited specific ester synthesis activities on organic solvents compared with native lipase. The degree of activity enhancement depended on the size of activated PEG used and the degree of modification of the enzyme. Maximal activity was attained after exhaustive of modification. The effects of different solvents, reaction temperature, and fatty acids on the esterification activity and the stability of the modified enzyme were investigated. The optimum esterification temperature (40° C) and preference of fatty acids as acyl donors of the modified lipase were very similar to those of the native enzyme. The modified lipase exhibited higher activity non-polar solvents than in polar solvents, and showed higher temperature, solvent and storage stability then the native lipase.     

Activity of immobilized Thermomyces lanuginosus and Candida antarctica B Lipases in Interesterification Reactions: Effect of the Aqueous Microenvironment

Lipases are enzymes used in numerous reactions of industrial interest. Depending on their aqueous microenvironment, lipases can catalyze hydrolysis or, conversely, organic synthesis like interesterification. This reaction can be used as a method to modify the physical and chemical properties of fats and oils, a basic process for production of “structured lipids”. For such synthesis reactions, thermodynamic water activity (a_w) of the catalyst is generally the most important parameter to control. Actually, it will directly determine the performance of the synthesis, namely its yield, selectivity and stability. Effect of the a_w on the activity of immobilized Thermomyces lanuginosus and Candida antarctica B lipases in interesterification reactions was studied. Water sorption and desorption isotherms were determined, showing a phenomenon of hysteresis for the Thermomyces lanuginosus lipase. Evaluation of the influence of a_w on reaction yields revealed that the IE activity tends to increase with the water activity of immobilized Thermomyces lanuginosus lipase. In contrast, a_w had little influence in the case of the Candida antarctica B lipase.     

Synthesis of Vitamin A Esters by Immobilized Candida sp. Lipase in Organic Media

Vitamin A ester was synthesized in organic solvents with immobilized lipase from Candida sp. The types of lipases, influences of solvent, the molar ratio of substrates, the reaction temperature and the water activity in the reaction were studied in detail in order to obtain the optimum conditions for Vitamin A palmitate synthesis. In a system of hexane, 100mg immobilized Candida sp. lipase was used in the presence of 1.2mmol vitamin A acetate and 3.6mmol palmitic acid. The yield of vitamin A palmitate reached 81% in 12h at 25℃. The immobilized Candida sp. lipase was prepared by adsorbing Cand/da sp. fermentation broth on pretreated textile and could be reused for at least six batches.     

Synthesis of medium-chain glycerides by lipase in organic solvent

Using commercial lipases from various microbial origins, medium-chain glycerides, such as mono-, di-, and tricaprin, were synthesized in isooctane from glycerol and capric acid. The enzyme reaction was performed with 0.35 M capric acid, 0.025 M glycerol, and 0.46 g silica gel to remove water in 5 mL of isooctane with 30 mg lyophilized lipase. Of the 21 kinds of lipases, 11 showed good synthetic activities. Lipases fromPseudomonas aeruginosa (Lipase PS),Rhizomucor miehei lipase andChromobacterium viscosum lipase (Lipase CV) showed high activities for the production of tricaprin, while lipase OF-360 (fromCandida rugosa) and lipase D (Rhizopus delemar) were good for dicaprin production. Lipases CC and MY fromC. rugosa (C. cylindracea) and lipase D (Rhizopus delemar) were good for dicaprin production. Lipases CC and MY fromC. rugosa (C. cylindracea) also showed high activities for dicaprin and tricaprin. Some lipases, especially lipase PS, had high thermal stability over 60°C. The optimal lyophilization pH to dehydrate the lipase coincides with the optimal buffer solution pH for hydrolysis.     

Enantioselective esterification reaction using immobilized Candida rugosa lipase on poly(N‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone‐co‐styrene) hydrogel

Lipase from Candida rugosa was immobilized on poly(N‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone‐co‐styrene) hydrogel (poly‐(VP‐co‐ST)) with ethylene dimethacrylate and α,α'‐azoisobutyronitrile, which act as crosslinker and initiator, respectively. Three different compositions of monomers were used, namely VP(%):ST(%), 10:90, 50:50, and 70:30 (wt(%)/wt(%)). The immobilized lipases were used in the enantioselective esterification of (R,S)‐2‐(4‐chlorophenoxy)‐propanoic acid with n‐tetradecanol. The optimum reaction condition of the enantioselective esterification for the native lipase and the poly(VP‐co‐ST) hydrogel immobilized lipases was determined with respect to temperature, solvents, and initial water activity (a_w). The optimum temperature obtained was 40°C, with the poly(VP‐co‐ST) hydrogel immobilized lipase VP(%)/ST(%):10:90 showing the highest enantiomeric excess. In the solvent effect studies, the best solvents for high enantioselectivity were chloroform and carbon tetrachloride. In the a_w studies, optimum α_w for NL, VP(%):ST(%), 10:90, and 50:50 was 0.328, while for VP(%):ST(%), 70:30, it was 0.55. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 92: 3381–3386, 2004     

Lipase-catalyzed esterification of citronellol with lauric acid in supercritical carbon dioxide/co-solvent media

Direct esterification of citronellol and lauric acid catalyzed by immobilized lipase B from Candida antarctica was performed in supercritical carbon dioxide with different organic solvents and ionic liquids serving as co-solvents. The highest concentration of citronellol laurate after 1 h of reaction performance (3.95 mmol/g substrates) was obtained in SC CO₂ with ethyl methylketone serving as a co-solvent. The optimal temperature and pressure for citronellol laurate synthesis in SC CO₂/EMK medium was determined to be 60 °C and 10 MPa.     

High‐pressure enzymatic hydrolysis of oil

The hydrolysis of sunflower and soybean oil, catalyzed by two enzymes, non‐immobilized Candida rugosa and immobilized Candida antarctica lipase, was performed at atmospheric and high‐pressure. The results showed that at atmospheric pressure between 40 °C and 60 °C initial reaction rates were influenced by the temperature variation, as expected. Due to favorable physico‐chemical properties of dense gases as reaction media, hydrolysis of soybean oil was performed in non‐conventional solvents: in supercritical (SC) CO₂ and near‐critical propane. In SC CO₂ the activity of non‐immobilized Candida rugosa lipase decreased while the reaction rates of hydrolysis catalyzed by immobilized Candida antarctica lipase were 1.5‐fold higher than at atmospheric pressure. However, the reaction rates for the hydrolyses catalyzed by both lipases, were much higher in propane than at atmospheric pressure.     

Regioselective acylation of flavonoids catalyzed by lipase in low toxicity media

Flavonoid fatty esters were prepared by acylation of flavonoids (rutin and naringin) by fatty acids (C8, C10, C12), catalyzed by immobilized lipase from Candida antarctica in various solvent systems. The reaction parameters affecting the conversion of the enzymatic process, such as the nature of the organic solvent and acyl donor used, the water activity (a_w) of the system, as well as the acyl donor concentration have been investigated. At optimum reaction conditions, the conversion of flavonoids was 50—60% in tert‐butanol at a_w less than 0.11. In all cases studied, only flavonoid monoester was identified, which indicates that this lipase‐catalyzed esterification is regioselective.     

Polyethylene glycol modification ofCandida rugosa lipase

Polyethylene glycol (PEG) was covalently attached to lipase (EC 3.1.1.3) fromCandida rugosa yielding a modified lipase of higher specific activity in hydrolytic and synthetic reactions in organic solvents. PEG of molecular weights 5000 and 1900 solubilized the lipase in selected organic solvents, but PEG of molecular weight 750 was too small to accomplish this completely. The modified lipase was 10 times more stable in water than native lipase, but was less stable in benzene. The selectivity of the modified lipase was also altered to favor reaction with oleic versus stearic acid.     

Effects of organic solvents on lipase for fat splitting

The effect of organic solvents on the stability and catalytic activity of the microbial lipase fromCandida rugosa for hydrolysis of triglyceride (fat splitting) has been examined. The solvents examined were 5 hydrocarbons (n-hexane, n-heptane, n-octane, iso-octane and cyclohexane) and 3 ethers (diethyl-ether, diisopropylether and di-n-butylether). The results revealed that iso-octane and cyclohexane are superior to the other solvents examined for enzymatic fat splitting in organic solvent systems.     

Molecular Mechanism of the Hydration of Candida antarctica Lipase B in the Gas Phase: Water Adsorption Isotherms and Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Hydration is a major determinant of activity and selectivity of enzymes in organic solvents or in gas phase. The molecular mechanism of the hydration of Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB) and its dependence on the thermodynamic activity of water (a_w) was studied by molecular dynamics simulations and compared to experimentally determined water sorption isotherms. Hydration occurred in two phases. At low water activity, single water molecules bound to specific water binding sites at the protein surface. As the water activity increased, water networks gradually developed. The number of protein‐bound water molecules increased linearly with a_w, until at a_w=0.5 a spanning water network was formed consisting of 311 water molecules, which covered the hydrophilic surface of CALB, with the exception of the hydrophobic substrate‐binding site. At higher water activity, the thickness of the hydration shell increased up to 10 Å close to a_w=1. Above a limit of 1600 protein‐bound water molecules the hydration shell becomes unstable and the formation of pure water droplets occurs in these oversaturated simulation conditions. While the structure and the overall flexibility of CALB was independent of the hydration state, the flexibility of individual loops was sensitive to hydration: some loops, such as those part of the substrate‐binding site, became more flexible, while other parts of the protein became more rigid upon hydration. However, the molecular mechanism of how flexibility is related to activity and selectivity is still elusive.     

Production of medium-chain glycerides by immobilized lipase in a solvent-free system

Enzymatic synthesis of medium- chain glycerides (MCGs) was studied by using capric acid (decanoic acid) and glycerol as substrates for immobilized lipase (Lipozyme^TM) without any solvents or surfactants. Quantitative analysis of the reaction mixture was conducted by using highperformance liquid chromatography (HPLC), which enabled the exact tracing of the capric glyceride synthesis. Oleic acid was also used for comparison. The esterification activity of Lipozyme was determined at 40°C in an open batch reactor; the activities were 400 and 200 units/g for the capric glyceride and oleic glyceride synthesis, respectively. Maximum initial reaction rate was obtained at 50°C for capric and 60°C for oleic glyceride synthesis. The time course of the capric glyceride synthesis was compared in terms of different molar ratios, from which we infer that this enzyme is 1,3- specific, but not absolute, in this esterification reaction. The final conversion was greatly influenced by the methods used to remove water, among which the cold trap method resulted in a noticeable improvement. *To whom correspondence should be addressed at Department of Biological Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 150, Chongyang, Seoul 130-650, Korea.     

Characterization of Candida rugosa Lipase Immobilized on Poly(N‐methylolacrylamide) and Its Application in Butyl Butyrate Synthesis

Candida rugosa lipase was immobilized on poly(N‐methylolacrylamide) by physical adsorption. The biocatalyst performance (immobilized lipase) was evaluated in both aqueous (hydrolysis) and organic (butyl butyrate synthesis) media. In the first case, a comparative study between free and immobilized derivatives was provided in terms of pH, temperature and thermal stability following the olive oil hydrolysis, establishing new optimum values. In the second case, the influence of temperature, biocatalyst concentration and acid/alcohol molar ratio was simultaneously studied according to a 2³ full experimental design. The highest molar conversion (96 %), volumetric productivity (1.73 g L^–1 h^–1) and specific esterification activity (1.00 μM mg^–1 min^–1) were obtained when working at the lowest level of temperature and butyric acid in excess. Under these conditions, repeated batch use of the immobilized enzyme was performed and half‐life time (t_1/2) was found to be 145 h.     

Lipase-mediated synthesis of dodecyl oleate and oleyl oleate in aqueous foams

Engineering media for optimal product yield in enzyme-catalyzed reactions is an important strategy. We report here synthesis of dodecyl oleate and oleyl oleate by lipase (Candida rugosa) in solvent-free substrate foams. Ester formation was characterized with respect to enzyme concentration, pH, temperature, and substrate concentration. The kinetics of ester formation suggest that the formation of ester was 80% complete in 2h. The pH and temperature optima of lipase suggest that the behavior of lipase in substrate foams was similar to its behavior in water or in organic solvents. The denaturing effect of foams on enzyme was evaluated. Rapid loss in activity (>70% in 1 h) was observed in the presence of oleic acid and dodecanol. The large surface areas generated in aqueous foams offer better accessibility of substrate to lipase for esterification.     

Enzymatic fat hydrolysis and synthesis

The hydrolysis of tallow, coconut oil and olive oil, by lipase fromCandida rugosa, was studied. The reaction approximates a firstorder kinetics model. Its rate is unaffected by temperature in the range of 26–46 C. Olive oil is more rapidly hydrolyzed compared to tallow and coconut oil. Hydrolysis is adversely affected by hydrocarbon solvents and a nonionic surfactant. Since amounts of fatty acids produced are almost directly proportional to the logarithms of reaction time and enzyme concentration, this relationship provides a simple means of determining these parameters for a desired extent of hydrolysis. All three substrates can be hydrolyzed, almost quantitatively, within 72 hr. Lipase fromAspergillus niger performs similarly. The lipase fromRhizopus arrhizus gives a slow hydrolysis rate because of its specificity for the acyl groups attached to the α-hydroxyl groups of glycerol. Esterification of glycerol with fatty acid was studied with the lipase fromC. rugosa andA. niger. All expected five glycerides are formed at an early stage of the reaction. Removal of water and use of excess fatty acid reverse the reaction towards esterification. However, esterification beyond a 70% triglyceride content is slow.