Hydrolysis of Milk Fat with Lipase in Reversed Micelles

Enzymatic hydrolysis of milk fat was studied in a reversed-micelle system consisting of lecithin, water (1% total volume) and butteroil. Candida cylindracea lipase entrapped in the water pools of reversed micelles hydrolyzed surrounding triglycerides. The optimum temperature for enzyme activity was 55°C with an activation energy of 15.4 kcal/mole, while maximum enzyme activity was observed between pH 4 to 6. The molar ratio of water to surfactant (R value) in the system influenced enzyme activity with maximum activity at R = 10. Enzyme activity also increased with increasing surfactant or enzyme concentration.