Lipases and Their Industrial Applications: An Overview

Abstract

Lipases (triacylglycerol acylhydrolase, EC 3.1.1.3) are part of the family of hydrolases that act on carboxylic ester bonds. The physiologic role of lipases is to hydrolyze triglycerides into diglycerides, monoglycerides, fatty acids, and glycerol. These enzymes are widely found throughout the animal and plant kingdoms, as well as in molds and bacteria. Of all known enzymes, lipases have attracted the most scientific attention. In addition to their natural function of hydrolyzing carboxylic ester bonds, lipases can catalyze esterification, interesterification, and transesterification reactions in nonaqueous media. This versatility makes lipases the enzymes of choice for potential applications in the food, detergent, pharmaceutical, leather, textile, cosmetic, and paper industries. The most significant industrial applications of lipases have been mainly found in the food, detergent, and pharmaceutical sectors. Limitations of the industrial use of these enzymes have mainly been owing to their high production costs, which may be overcome by molecular technologies, enabling the production of these enzymes at high levels and in a virtually purified form.

Green and selective polycondensation methods toward linear sorbitol‐based polyesters: enzymatic versus organic and metal‐based catalysis

“…Benign and eco-friendly conditions such as in absence of solvent and low reaction temperature are desired, not only to reduce the energy consumption but, most importantly, to extend the possibility of using thermally unstable monomers such as sugars and sugarderivatives. In fact sorbitol is prone either to dehydrate at moderate temperature to hexitans (mainly giving 1,4-sorbitan and in minor amount 2,5-sorbitan) or, in presence of base-or acid-catalysts, even further to isosorbide (Scheme 1 3 ) and dibutyl tin oxide (DBTO) (Figure 1). In previous studies Sc(OTf) 3 and CALB have shown high selectivity for primary over secondary hydroxyl groups.…”

“…In fact sorbitol is prone either to dehydrate at moderate temperature to hexitans (mainly giving 1,4-sorbitan and in minor amount 2,5-sorbitan) or, in presence of base-or acid-catalysts, even further to isosorbide (Scheme 1 3 ) and dibutyl tin oxide (DBTO) (Figure 1). In previous studies Sc(OTf) 3 and CALB have shown high selectivity for primary over secondary hydroxyl groups. 19,20 However, to the best of our knowledge, for TBD and DBTO no selectivity has been reported yet, and only the different kinetics for primary and secondary hydroxyl groups will play a role.…”

“…21 It is worth to mention that the use of DBTO as catalyst in the polycondensation of glycerol and oleic diacid at 150 °C resulted in the formation of a gel due to cross-linking. 11 For Sc(OTf) 3 , TBD and DBTO, the amount of catalyst chosen was 0.5 mol%, as commonly used in literature. 10 Lipasecatalyzed polycondensation reactions performed using Novozyme 435 (an immobilized form of CALB) usually employ 10 wt% of immobilized biocatalyst compared to the total amount of monomers.…”

“…DBTO is known to effectively catalyze polycondensation reactions at temperatures around 140-150 °C. 10,11 The Lewis acid Sc(OTf) 3 has been used for several types of reactions including polycondensation/polyesterification at low temperature (60 °C), showing high selectivity for primary over secondary hydroxyl groups and low toxicity. 12 Two metal-free catalytic systems, known to be active at mild reaction conditions, will also be compared for the synthesis of poly(1,3-propylene-co-sorbitol adipate)s: an immobilized form of Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB), known as SPRIN liposorb CALB, and the organo-base 1,5,7-triazabicyclo [4,4,0]dec-5-ene (TBD).…”

“…If Sc(OTf) 3 is employed as catalyst, more than six peaks are present and the region is extended till 80 ppm. In presence of a Lewis acid such as Sc(OTf) 3 , the sorbitol unit can be subjected to dehydration leading to the formation of sorbitan as side product. In fact, the resonance at 80 ppm is due to the -CH of the five-membered ring of sorbitan.…”