KINETIC-STUDY OF OLIVE OIL HYDROLYSIS WITH LIPASE

Hydrolysis of olive oil in various organic diluents was carried out by using lipase in a stirred transfer cell. Based on measurement of the interfacial tension between aqueous and organic solutions, it was found that they are absorbed at the oil-water interface. Among diluents investigated, isooctane gave the highest reaction rate as reported previously. From adsorption and kinetic experiments, a new model of interfacial reaction between adsorbed lipase and olive oil was proposed. The effect of diluent on the reaction rate was explained not by the difference in adsorption charactistics of lipase or olive oil but by the difference in interfacial reaction rate constants.