Continuous synthesis of alkyl ferulate by immobilized Candida antarctica lipase at high temperature

1-Pentyl, 1-hexyl and 1-heptyl ferulates were continuously synthesized at 60–90°C using a reactor system in which a column packed with ferulic acid powders and another column packed with immobilized Candida antarctica lipase particles were connected in series. Conversions greater than 0.9 were achieved for the synthesis of the 1-hexyl and 1-heptyl ferulates at 90°C. The system could be stably operated for the 1-heptyl ferulate synthesis at 90°C for at least two weeks.     

Efficient synthesis of enantiomeric ethyl lactate by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Candida antarctica</Emphasis> lipase B (CALB)-displaying yeasts

The whole-cell biocatalyst displaying Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB) on the yeast cell surface with α-agglutinin as the anchor protein was easy to handle and possessed high stability. The lyophilized CALB-displaying yeasts showed their original hydrolytic activity and were applied to an ester synthesis using ethanol and l-lactic acid as substrates. In water-saturated heptane, CALB-displaying yeasts catalyzed ethyl lactate synthesis. The synthesis efficiency increased depending on temperature and reached approximately 74% at 50°C. The amount of l-ethyl lactate increased gradually. l-Ethyl lactate synthesis stopped at 200 h and restarted after adding of l-lactic acid at 253 h. It indicated that CALB-displaying yeasts retained their synthetic activity under such reaction conditions. In addition, CALB-displaying yeasts were able to recognize l-lactic acid and d-lactic acid as substrates. l-Ethyl lactate was prepared from l-lactic acid and d-ethyl lactate was prepared from d-lactic acid using the same CALB-displaying whole-cell biocatalyst. These findings suggest that CALB-displaying yeasts can supply the enantiomeric lactic esters for preparation of useful and improved biopolymers of lactic acid.     

Enzymatic synthesis of short-chain diacylated alkylglycerols: A kinetic study

Lipase-catalyzed transesterification of 1-O-octadecyl glycerol (batyl alcohol) with ethyl butyrate has been studied. The effect of vacuum on the rate of both transesterification and distillation of ethyl butyrate has also been investigated and at different reaction conditions, more than 85% of 1-O-octadecyl glycerol was consumed in only 5 min giving rise to the monoester. Then the monoester is again acylated to produce the diesterified product. In addition, the transesterification reactions were effected in solvent free reaction medium and it has been scaled-up to produce up to ca. 500 g of 2,3-dibutyroil-1-O-alkylglycerols in three consecutive cycles reutilizing the same batch of lipase. An efficient evaporation of ethanol was necessary to significantly reduce the reaction times of the transesterification reaction. Finally, a kinetics model describing both the rate of transesterification and the rate of inactivation of the immobilized lipase has been developed. The results indicate that the operational stability of the immobilized lipase confined into the mesh baskets (according to the value of k_d attained), was very high and that provides a half-life of the lipase higher than 1500 h.The present procedure is intended to be used for the synthesis of homogeneous alkylglycerols with biological activities and/or precursors of structured alkylglycerols.     

Development of yeast cells displaying <Emphasis Type="Italic">Candida antarctica</Emphasis> lipase B and their application to ester synthesis reaction

We isolated the lipase B from Candida antarctica CBS 6678 (CALB CBS6678) and successfully constructed CALB-displaying yeast whole-cell biocatalysts using the Flo1p short (FS) anchor system. For the display of CALB on a yeast cell surface, the newly isolated CALB CBS6678 exhibited higher hydrolytic and ester synthesis activities than the well-known CALB, which is registered in GenBank (Z30645). A protease accessibility assay using papain as a protease showed that a large part of CALB, approximately 75%, was localized on an easily accessible part of the yeast cell surface. A comparison of the lipase hydrolytic activities of yeast whole cells displaying only mature CALB (CALB) and those displaying mature CALB with a Pro region (ProCALB) revealed that mature CALB is preferable for yeast cell surface display using the Flo1p anchor system. Lyophilized yeast whole cells displaying CALB were applied to an ester synthesis reaction at 60°C using adipic acid and n-butanol as substrates. The amount of dibutyl adipate (DBA) produced increased with the reaction time until 144 h. This indicated that CALB displayed on the yeast cell surface retained activity under the reaction conditions.     

Regio- and enantio-selective acetylation of 3,3,3-trifluoro-2-arylpropane-1,2-diols using Candida antarctica lipase

Of nine commercially available lipases, lipase SP 435 from Candida antarctica, showed moderate enantioselectivity (E=17) for acetylation of racemic 3,3,3-trifluoro-2-phenylpropane-1,2-diol, 2, with vinyl acetate in diisopropyl ether (S selectivity). The other eight had low selectivities, with E values below 10. The selectivity and reactivity of SP 435 for 2 was markedly improved in dichloroethane (E=41). Moreover, SP 435 had moderate to high selectivity for the related compounds 3,3,3-trifluoro-2-(1-naphthyl)-propane-1,2-diol, 4, (E=20), 3,3,3-trifluoro-2-(indol-3-yl)propane-1,2-diol, 6, (E=80), and 3,3,3-trifluoro-2-(pyrrol-2-yl)-propane-1,2-diol, 8, (E=17).     

Capsaicin hydrolysis by Candida antarctica lipase

Capsaicin was hydrolysed by lipase B from Candida antarctica into vanillylamine and 8-methyl-6-trans-nonenoic acid. Conversions of 70% were obtained after 72 h at 70 °C in water but decreased to only 15% when capsaicin was solubilized in 15% (v/v) ethanol/water after 72 h at 45 °C. No activity occurred in chloroform/water mixtures. According to our knowledge, this is the first report concerning amide hydrolysis by a lipase.     

A novel,two consecutive enzyme synthesis of feruloylated monoacyl- and diacyl-glycerols in a solvent-free system

Feruloylated mono- and di-acylglycerols were synthesized in a two step reaction: ethyl ferulate was first transesterified with glycerol and then this was esterified with oleic acid. The yield of the combined feruloylated mono- and di-acylglycerols in the second reaction reached 96% when esterification of 0.3 g transesterification products with 2.22 g oleic acid was catalyzed with 0.25 g Candida antarctica lipase at 60°C under a vaccum of 10 mmHg for 1.33 h.     

Synthesis of ethyl ferulate in organic medium using celite-immobilized lipase

In the present work we have evaluated synthesis of ethyl ferulate by the esterification reaction of ferulic acid and ethanol catalyzed by a commercial lipase (Steapsin) immobilized onto celite-545 in a short period of 6 h in DMSO. The immobilized lipase was treated with cross-linking agent glutaraldehyde (1%; v/v). The optimum synthesis of ethyl ferulate was recorded at 45 °C, pH 8.5 and 1:1 ratio of ethanol and ferulic acid. Co²⁺, Ba²⁺and Pb²⁺ ions enhanced the synthesis of ethyl ferulate Hg²⁺, Cd³⁺and NH⁴⁺ ions had mild inhibitory effect. The celite-bound lipase produced 68 mM of ethyl ferulate under optimized reaction conditions.     

Aminolysis of 2-hydroxy esters catalyzed by Candida antarctica lipase

Candida antarctica lipase catalyzed the aminolysis of 2-hydroxy esters with amines in organic solvents to yield the corresponding 2-hydroxy amides. The reactions proceeded at 28–30 °C in dioxane for 6 h with 3 mM substrates with yields ranging between 45% (w/w) (for branched substrates) to 88% (w/w) (for linear substrates). Although the reaction was not enantioselective, because of its simplicity it represents an alternative method for the synthesis of functionalised amides.     

Lipase-catalysed synthesis of olvanil in organic solvents

The release rate of vanillylamine from its hydrochloride salt was the limiting step in the lipase-catalysed synthesis of olvanil, a capsaicin analogue amide, in organic solvents. When the tertiary amine base concentration (N,N-diisopropylethylamine) was increased from 20 mM to 360 mM, the initial rate of amide synthesis increased proportionally. At a 12 molar excess of N,N-diisopropylethylamine and 30 min of preincubation, both the initial rate and total conversion were the same as those with free vanillylamine (80% conversion in 20 h). This result was independent of the organic solvent used. It is also shown that N,N-diisopropylethylamine does not enhance lipase activity.     

The mechanism of solvent effect on the positional selectivity of Candida antarctica lipase B during 1,3-diolein synthesis by esterification

We investigated the influence of solvent on the positional selectivity of Novozym 435 which was the immobilized Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB) during the esterification of oleic acid with glycerol for 1,3-diolein preparation previously. Herein, molecular modeling was used to elucidate the underlying mechanism of the solvent effect on the positional selectivity of the enzyme. The results showed that the binding energy of sn-1 hydroxyl of glycerol molecular with CALB became higher, and the binding energy of sn-2 hydroxyl of glycerol molecular with CALB became lower along with the increase of the solvent log P. It was demonstrated that, increasing log P of the solvent, the enzyme selectivity to sn-1 hydroxyl of glycerol molecular grew weaker, and the selectivity to sn-2 hydroxyl of glycerol molecular grew stronger.     

Synthesis of glyceryl ferulate by immobilized ferulic acid esterase

Glyceryl ferulate was synthesized by the condensation of ferulic acid with glycerol using Pectinase PL “Amano” from Aspergillus niger, which contained ferulic acid esterase, to improve the water-solubility of ferulic acid. The optimum reaction medium was glycerol/0.1 M acetate buffer, pH 4.0, (98:2 v/v). The enzyme immobilized onto Chitopearl BCW3003 exhibited the highest activity among the those immobilized onto various kinds of Chitopearl BCW resins. The optimum temperature for the immobilized enzyme was 50°C, and it could be reused at least five times without a significant loss in activity for the synthesis of glyceryl ferulate in batch reaction. Storage of the reaction mixture at 25°C improved the molar fraction of glyceryl ferulate relative to the dissolved ferulic residues.     

Molecular modeling of substrate selectivity of Candida antarctica lipase B and Candida rugosa lipase towards c9, t11- and t10, c12-conjugated linoleic acid

Molecular modeling was used to clarify the mechanism of the selectivity of Candida antarctica lipase B and Candida rugosa lipase towards cis9, trans11 (c9, t11-) and trans10, cis12 (t10, c12-) conjugated linoleic acid. Hydrogen bonds network, substrate conformation, binding affinity and water molecules in the binding site were analyzed. Substrate conformation and binding affinity were not correlated with the experimental results of the substrate selectivity. On the contrary, better enzyme preference towards a substrate was correlated with two stronger hydrogen bonds (His-NH-O_a and His-NH-Ser-O_γ) and less water molecules between the substrate the binding pocket. Possible explanation of these was discussed.     

Biocatalytic synthesis of vitamin A palmitate using immobilized lipase produced by recombinant Pichia pastoris

In this work, the Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB), produced by recombinant Pichia pastoris , was immobilized and used to synthesize vitamin A palmitate by transesterification of vitamin A acetate and palmitic acid in organic solvent. The reaction conditions including the type of solvent, temperature, rotation speed, particle size, and molar ratio between the two substrates were investigated. It turned out that the macroporous resin HPD826 serving as a carrier showed the highest activity (ca. 9200 U g^?1) among all the screened carriers. It was found that the transesterification kinetic of the immobilized CALB followed the ping pong Bi‐Bi mechanism and the reaction product acetic acid inhibited the enzymatic reaction with an inhibition factor of 2.823 mmol L^?1. The conversion ability of the immobilized CALB was 54.3% after 15 cycles. In conclusion, the present work provides a green route for vitamin A palmitate production using immobilized CALB to catalyze the transesterification of vitamin A acetate and palmitic acid.     

Effect of additives on the esterification activity of immobilized Candida antarctica lipase

In this work, the stabilizing effect of bovine serum albumin (BSA), peptone (PEP), and polyethylene glycol (PEG) during immobilization of Candida antarctica lipase on activated carbon was investigated. The influence of enzyme concentration and type of additive, added during the immobilization procedure, was studied using a 2² factorial central composite design. The goal was to maximize the synthetic activity of butyl butyrate, using butyric acid and butanol as substrate in n-heptane. An increase of 31–58% in the esterification activity was obtained when enzyme concentration on the supernatant was enhanced from 86.50 U m L⁻¹ to 226.80 U mL⁻¹. An enhancement in esterification activity of 38–68.95% was observed, depending on the initial enzyme concentration, when PEP was used instead of BSA. No significant increase in the esterification activity was observed when PEP was replaced by PEG. However, thermal stability tests at 50 °C showed that PEG had a higher stabilizing effect.     

The role of different anions in ionic liquids on Pseudomonas cepacia lipase catalyzed transesterification and hydrolysis

Lipase Pseudomonas cepacia (PS) catalyzed transesterification of ethyl 3-phenylpropanoate with eleven alcohols was investigated in three ionic liquids [ILs], [Bmim]BF₄, [Bmim]PF₆, and [Bmim]Tf₂N, consisting of an identical cation and different anions. The yields were higher in hydrophobic ILs [Bmim]Tf₂N (55–96%) and [Bmim]PF₆ (22–95%), than in hydrophilic [Bmim]BF₄ (0–19%). The incubation of lipase PS in hydrophobic ILs for a period of 20–300 days at room temperature resulted in an increased yield of 62–98% in [Bmim]Tf₂N and 45–98% in [Bmim]PF₆, respectively. The lipase PS-hydrophobic IL mixture was recycled five times without any decrease in the yield of the products. In another set of experiments, the hydrolytic activity of the enzyme was determined after incubation in each of the three ILs and in hexane for 20 days at room temperature. It was found to be 1.8- and 1.6-fold higher in [Bmim]Tf₂N and [Bmim]PF₆, respectively, remained unchanged in [Bmim]BF₄ and was 1.6 times lower in hexane as compared to the non-incubated enzyme.     

Enzymatic synthesis of water-soluble derivatives of salicylic acid in organic media

A novel enzymatic method for preparing water-soluble derivatives of salicylic acid catalyzed by immobilized lipase was described. This study is the first to describe the enzymatic transesterification of methyl salicylate in organic solvents with different hydroxyl donors. The acyl-transfer between methyl salicylate and sorbitol was best supported by solvents of log P values –0.33 to 1.4. With Candida antarctica lipase in tert-amyl alcohol, a sorbitol conversion yield of 98% can be obtained by transesterification with sorbitol and methyl salicylate in one step.     

Regioselective acylation of flavonoids catalyzed by immobilized Candida antarctica lipase under reduced pressure

A single-step acylation of rutin and naringin, catalyzed by immobilized Candida antarctica lipase B in 2-methyl-2-butanol, occurred preferentially on the primary hydroxyl group. Using palmitic methyl ester as acyl donor, the acylation rate of naringin was 10-fold higher than that of rutin. Under optimal conditions, i.e. a molar ratio acyl donor/naringin of 7:1 and 200 mbar, 92% naringin was acylated.     

Green enzymatic production of glyceryl monoundecylenate using immobilized Candida antarctica lipase B

Enzymatic synthesis of glyceryl monoundecylenate (GMU) was performed using indigenously immobilized Candida anatarctica lipase B preparation (named as PyCal) using glycerol and undecylenic acid as substrates. The effect of molar ratio, enzyme load, reaction time, and organic solvent on the reaction conversion was determined. Both batch and continuous processes for GMU synthesis with shortened reaction time were developed. Under optimized batch reaction conditions such as 1:5 molar ratio of undecylenic acid and glycerol, 2?h of reaction time at 30% substrate concentration in tert-butyl alcohol, conversion of 82% in the absence of molecular sieve, and conversion of 93% in the presence of molecular sieve were achieved. Packed bed reactor studies resulted in high conversion of 86% in 10-min residence time. Characterization of formed GMU was performed by FTIR, MS/MS. Enzymatic process resulted in GMU as a predominant product in high yield and shorter reaction time periods with GMU content of 92% and DAG content of 8%. Optimized GMU synthesis in the present study can be used as a useful reference for industrial synthesis of fatty acid esters of glycerol by the enzymatic route.     

Preparation of a whole-cell biocatalyst of mutated <Emphasis Type="Italic">Candida antarctica</Emphasis> lipase B (mCALB) by a yeast molecular display system and its practical properties

To prepare a whole-cell biocatalyst of a stable lipase at a low price, mutated Candida antarctica lipase B (mCALB) constructed on the basis of the primary sequences of CALBs from C. antarctica CBS 6678 strain and from C. antarctica LF 058 strain was displayed on a yeast cell surface by α-agglutinin as the anchor protein for easy handling and stability of the enzyme. When mCALB was displayed on the yeast cell surface, it showed a preference for short chain fatty acids, an advantage for producing flavors; although when Rhizopus oryzae lipase (ROL) was displayed, the substrate specificity was for middle chain lengths. When the thermal stability of mCALB on the cell surface was compared with that of ROL on a cell surface, T _1/2, the temperature required to give a residual activity of 50% for heat treatment of 30 min, was 60°C for mCALB and 44°C for ROL indicating that mCALB displayed on cell surface has a higher thermal stability. Furthermore, the activity of the displayed mCALB against p-nitrophenyl butyrate was 25-fold higher than that of soluble CALB, as reported previously. These findings suggest that mCALB-displaying yeast is more practical for industrial use as the whole-cell biocatalyst.