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, 5h; temperature, 50 degreesC for Lipozyme and 60 degreesC 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 Ligase 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. (C) 2001 Society of Chemical Industry.