Parameter optimization for the enzymatic hydrolysis of sunflower oil in high-pressure reactors

This study is concerned with the hydrolysis of sunflower oil in the presence of lipase preparation Lipolase 100T (Aspergillus niger lipase). Supercritical carbon dioxide was used as a solvent for this reaction. In a high-pressure stirred tank reactor operated in a batch mode, the effects of various process parameters (temperature, pressure, enzyme/substrate ratio, pH, and oil/buffer ratio) were investigated to determine the optimal reaction rate and conversion for the hydrolysis process. The optimal concentration of lipase was 0.0714 g/mL of CO₂-free reaction mixture, and the highest conversions of oleic acid (0.193 g/g of oil phase) and linoleic acid (0.586 g/g of oil phase) were obtained at 50°C, 200 bar, pH=7, and an oil/buffer ratio of 1∶1 (w/w).