Lipase in biphasic alginate beads as a biocatalyst for esterification of butyric acid and butanol in aqueous media

Esterification of organic acids and alcohols in aqueous media is very inefficient due to thermodynamic constraints. However, fermentation processes used to produce organic acids and alcohols are often conducted in aqueous media. To produce esters in aqueous media, biphasic alginate beads with immobilized lipase are developed for in situ esterification of butanol and butyric acid. The biphasic beads contain a solid matrix of calcium alginate and hexadecane together with 5 mg/mL of lipase as the biocatalyst. Hexadecane in the biphasic beads serves as an organic phase to facilitate the esterification reaction. Under optimized conditions, the beads are able to catalyze the production of 0.16 mmol of butyl butyrate from 0.5 mmol of butyric acid and 1.5 mmol of butanol. In contrast, when monophasic beads (without hexadecane) are used, only trace amount of butyl butyrate is produced. One main application of biphasic beads is in simultaneous fermentation and esterification (SFE) because the organic phase inside the beads is very stable and does not leach out into the culture medium. SFE is successfully conducted with an esterification yield of 6.32% using biphasic beads containing iso-octane even though the solvent is proven toxic to the butanol-producing Clostridium spp.     

Effect of lipase conditioning on its activity in organic media

Different modes of conditioning of a crude lipase from Rhizomucor miehei were investigated in terms of activity for synthesis of butyl butyrate either by esterification or transesterification in organic media. It was found that lyophilisation alone had a positive effect on reaction rates and that this effect was greatly enhanced when incorporating the substrates of the reaction prior to lyophilisation.These improvements were no longer observed when adding water to the reaction medium. Removal of the insoluble matter from the crude enzyme had a favourable effect on activity only in biphasic water-organic solvent media. Correspondence to: F. Monot     

Strategies for enzymatic esterification in organic solvents: comparison of microaqueous, biphasic, and micellar systems.

The kinetics of butyl butyrate synthesis by a lipase from Mucor miehei in different types of organic media were investigated. The three systems studied were a microaqueous medium containing enzyme in suspension in hexane, a water-hexane two-phase system, and reverse micelles. The synthesis of butyl butyrate was possible in all cases because of a favorable partition of the ester into the organic solvent. A sufficient stirring rate was necessary to achieve good reaction rates in the case of the liquid-liquid biphasic medium. The effect of water content was different according to the type of system used. The dependence of reaction rate and of conversion yield on enzyme and substrate concentrations was also investigated. From an applied point of view, the best performances were obtained with either microaqueous or liquid-liquid two-phase systems. The use of reverse micelles can be advocated only in particular conditions, such as low enzyme concentration, compatible with the specific constraints it involves.     

Triphasic esterification of butanol and butyric acid in fermentation media

Butanol and butyric acid produced from acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation can be used to produce butyl butyrate, an important fragrance ester. However, low levels of butanol and butyric acid need to be purified from culture media first with energy-intensive distillation processes. In this study, a triphasic (organic/aqueous/fluorous) system is developed to esterify butanol and butyric acid in spent culture media into butyl butyrate directly without purification. The produced butyl butyrate forms a distinct organic phase floating on top and can then be separated easily. In a model system containing 37.1 g/L of butanol and 44.1 g/L of butyric acid, 57% of the butanol is converted to butyl butyrate after 8 h of esterification. With multiple cycles of esterification and product removal, butanol conversion can be further increased to 86%. When spent culture medium containing 7.12 g/L of butanol and 4.81 g/L of butyric acid is used for esterification, 38% of butanol (0.36 mmol) is consumed and 0.33 mmol of butyl butyrate is produced. However, when ABE fermentation and esterification are carried out simultaneously, only 0.042 mmol of butyl butyrate is produced, probably due to the incompatible pH requirements for cell growth (pH 5–7) and esterification (pH 2–3).     

Immobilization of Candida rugosa lipase in lyotropic liquid crystals and some properties of the immobilized enzyme

Summary Lipase from Candida rugosa has been immobilized in lyotropic liquid crystals consisting of a nonionic surfactant, hexane, and aqueous buffer with the enzyme. The kinetics of butyl butyrate synthesis, diffusion effects, and enzyme stability were investigated. Some basic rules have been formulated for a rational medium design in liquid-crystalline matrices.     

Interfacial area effects of a biphasic aqueous/organic system on growth kinetic of xenobiotic-degrading microorganisms

The activity of xenobiotic-degrading microorganisms is generally high in a biphasic aqueous/organic system. Therefore, the influence of interfacial area variation on kinetic parameters of Candida sp. growing on ethyl butyrate was evaluated. Interfacial areas of both aseptic and cultured biphasic systems were utilized. Substrate transport measurements in aseptic system (where the interface varied with the organic-phase fraction and agitator speed) showed that the substrate concentration in the aqueous phase was constant at different agitation speeds and decreased as the organic phase increased. Kinetic measurements of the cultured system showed that kinetic parameters vary as functions of their respective aseptic interfacial areas. Higher µ_max and K _i and lower K _s values were obtained with larger interfacial areas. Measurements of the cultured system showed that the interfacial area increased as the biomass increased, and that about 50% of the biomass was attached to the interface as an interfacial biofilm at the end of the culture. Results suggest that the growth and selection of xenobiotic-degrading microorganisms in a biphasic aqueous/organic system should be evaluated mainly on the basis of the activity of adhering biomass (forming a biofilm) at the interfacial area rather than on substrate transport to the aqueous phase     

A new approach to preparative enzymatic synthesis

A new approach to preparative organic synthesis in aqueous–organic systems is suggested. It is based on the idea that the enzymatic process is carried out in a biphasic system “water–water-immiscible organic solvent.” Thereby the enzyme is localized in the aqueous phase—this eliminates the traditional problem of stabilizing the enzyme against inactivation by a nonaqueous solvent. Hence, in contrast to the commonly used combinations “water–water-miscible organic solvent,” in the suggested system the content of water may be infinitely low. This allows one to dramatically shift the equilibrium of the reactions forming water as a reaction product (synthesis of esters and amides, polymerization of amino acids, sugars and nucleotides, dehydration reactions, etc.) toward the products. The fact that the system consists of two phases provides another very important source for an equilibrium shift, i.e., free energies of the transfer of a reagent from one phase to the other. Equations are derived describing the dependence of the equilibrium constant in a biphasic system on the ratio of the volumes of the aqueous and nonaqueous phases and the partition coefficients of the reagents between the phases. The approach has been experimentally verified with the synthesis of N-acetyl-L -tryptophan ethyl ester from the respective alcohol and acid. Porous glass was impregnated with aqueous buffer solution of chymotrypsin and suspended in chloroform containing N-acetyl-L -tryptophan and ethanol. In water (no organic phase) the yield of the ester is about 0.01%, whereas in this biphasic system it is practically 100%. The idea is applicable to a great number of preparative enzymatic reactions.     

Enzymes in preparative organic synthesis: Coincidence of the pH optimum for catalyst effectiveness with the pH optimum for the catalyzed reaction equilibrium

The study concerned the pH profile of the apparent equilibrium constant for synthesis of N-benzoyl-L -phenylalanine ethyl ester from the respective acid and ethanol in the biphasic system chloroform + 5% (v/v) water. The substitution of water (as a reaction medium) for the biphasic aqueous–organic system shifted the pH profile toward neutral pH values. As a result the pH range thermodynamically conducive to synthesis of the final product in the biphasic system coincided with the pH optimum of the catalytic activity of the enzyme used (α-chymotrypsin). This approach should, in principle, be considered as general: first, per se it is independent of a catalyst (enzyme) nature; second, the biphasic method helps the shift ionic equilibria involving not only organic acids, but also bases. A physical mechanism of the ionic equilibrium shift is the same is both cases, namely, a preferable extraction from water into an organic phase of one generally nonionic (more hydrophobic) form of the reagent.     

Improvement in organic solvent tolerance by double disruptions of proV and marR genes in Escherichia coli

Aims: To investigate the involvement of osmoprotectant transporters in organic solvent tolerance in Escherichia coli and to construct an E. coli strain with high organic solvent tolerance. Methods and Results: The organic solvent tolerance of ΔbetT, ΔproV, ΔproP or ΔputP single‐gene knockout mutants of E. coli K‐12 strain was examined. Among these mutants, the organic solvent tolerance of the ΔproV mutant remarkably increased compared with that of the parent strain. It has been known that a marR mutation confers tolerance on E. coli to organic solvents. A ΔproV and ΔmarR double‐gene mutant was more tolerant to organic solvents than the ΔproV or ΔmarR single‐gene mutant. The n‐hexane amount accumulated in E. coli cells was examined after incubation in an n‐hexane‐aqueous medium two‐phase system. The intracellular n‐hexane level in the ΔproV and ΔmarR double‐gene mutant was kept lower than those of the parent strain, ΔproV mutant and ΔmarR mutant. Conclusions: The organic solvent tolerance level in E. coli highly increased by dual disruption of proV and marR. Significance and Impact of the Study: This study suggests a new strategy for increasing the organic solvent tolerance level in E. coli to improve the usability of the whole‐cell biocatalysts in two‐phase systems employing organic solvents.     

Transesterification activity of a novel lipase from Acinetobacter venetianus RAG-1

Transesterification activity and the industrial potential of a novel lipase prepared from Acinetobacter ventiatus RAG-1 were evaluated. Purified lipase samples were dialyzed against pH 9.0 buffer in a single optimization step prior to lyophilization. The enzyme and organic phase were pre-equilibrated (separately) to the same thermodynamic water activities (a _w) ranging from a _w 0.33 to 0.97. Production of 1-octyl butyrate by lipase-catalyzed transesterification of vinyl butyrate with 1-octanol in hexane was monitored by gas chromatography. Production of 1-octyl butyrate and initial rate of reaction depended on water activity. Product synthesis and rate of transesterification increased sharply with increase from a _w 0.33 to 0.55. Highest product concentration (218 mM) and rate of reaction (18.7 μmol h⁻¹ · 10 μg protein) were measured at a _w 0.86. Transesterification activity in hexane represented 32% of comparable hydrolytic activity in aqueous buffer.     

Continuous in situ water activity control for organic phase biocatalysis in a packed bed hollow fiber reactor

Packed bed hollow fiber membrane reactors were used to carry out organic phase biocatalysis at constant water activity. The performance of the device was tested by carrying out the esterification of dodecanol and decanoic acid in hexane. Lipase from Candida rugosa, immobilized on microporous polypropylene and packed in the shell space of the reactor, was used to catalyze the reaction. In situ water activity control was accomplished by pumping appropriate saturated salt solutions through the microporous hollow fiber polypropylene membranes. Water generated by reaction in the organic phase, pumped continuously through the shell of the reactor, was transferred into the bulk of the aqueous phase under the water activity gradient. The reactor performance was found to be strongly dependent on the controlling water activity. By carefully selecting this control activity it was found possible to obtain complete esterification. The water activity of the organic phase could be maintained very close to that of the saturated salt solution used. The reactor could be operated in the continuous mode for 100 h without any degradation in its performance. (c) 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Short-chain flavour ester synthesis by immobilized lipase in organic media

Summary Mucor miehei lipase has been adsorbed on Celite and covalently bound to nylon. The obtained derivatives have been studied regarding their ability for synthetize several flavouring esters in biphasic aqueous/organic media. The influence of the immobilization procedure on the synthetic activity of the derivatives was considered. Solvent hydrophobicity and water content in the biphasic system influenced both enzyme stability and equilibrium displacements. In this way, solvents with log P>3.5 and less than 1% water were optimal. It was important to consider pH effects on enzyme microenvironment when using acidic substrates. Optimum temperature and reuse of the catalyst were also checked.     

Enzymatic Synthesis of N-formyl-L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine Methyl Ester (Aspartame Precursor) Utilizing an Extractive Reaction in Aqueous/Organic Biphasic Medium

N-Formyl-L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine methyl ester (N-formyl aspartame, F-AspPheOMe) was synthesized enzymatically utilizing an extractive reaction in an aqueous/organic biphasic system. The N-formyl aspartame yield in a pure aqueous monophasic system was, in general, ca. 3% , however, it was over 80 % in a water/1-butanol biphasic system using a simultaneously extractive operation of an enzymatic reaction in an aqueous phase and a product separation from an aqueous to an organic phases.     

Enhancing productivity for cascade biotransformation of styrene to (S)-vicinal diol with biphasic system in hollow fiber membrane bioreactor

Biotransformation is a green and useful tool for sustainable and selective chemical synthesis. However, it often suffers from the toxicity and inhibition from organic substrates or products. Here, we established a hollow fiber membrane bioreactor (HFMB)-based aqueous/organic biphasic system, for the first time, to enhance the productivity of a cascade biotransformation with strong substrate toxicity and inhibition. The enantioselective trans-dihydroxylation of styrene to (S)-1-phenyl-1,2-ethanediol, catalyzed by Escherichia coli (SSP1) coexpressing styrene monooxygenase and an epoxide hydrolase, was performed in HFMB with organic solvent in the shell side and aqueous cell suspension in the lumen side. Various organic solvents were investigated, and n-hexadecane was found as the best for the HFMB-based biphasic system. Comparing to other reported biphasic systems assisted by HFMB, our system not only shield much of the substrate toxicity but also deflate the product recovery burden in downstream processing as the majority of styrene stayed in organic phase while the diol product mostly remained in the aqueous phase. The established HFMB-based biphasic system enhanced the production titer to 143 mM, being 16-fold higher than the aqueous system and 1.6-fold higher than the traditional dispersive partitioning biphase system. Furthermore, the combination of biphasic system with HFMB prevents the foaming and emulsification, thus reducing the burden in downstream purification. HFMB-based biphasic system could serve as a suitable platform for enhancing the productivity of single-step or cascade biotransformation with toxic substrates to produce useful and valuable chemicals.

     

Competitive lipase-catalyzed ester hydrolysis and ammoniolysis in organic solvents; equilibrium model of a solid-liquid-vapor system.

Enzymatic ester hydrolysis and ammoniolysis were performed as competitive reactions in methyl isobutyl ketone without a separate aqueous phase. The reaction system contained solid ammonium bicarbonate, which dissolved as water, ammonia, and carbon dioxide. During the reaction an organic liquid phase, a vapor phase, and at least one solid phase are present. The overall equilibrium composition of this multiphase system is a complex function of the reaction equilibria and several phase equilibria. To gain a quantitative understanding of this system a mathematical model was developed and evaluated. The model is based on the mass balances for a closed batch system and straightforward relations for the reaction equilibria and the solubility equilibria of ammonium bicarbonate, the fatty acid ammonium salt, water, ammonia, and carbon dioxide. For butyl butyrate as a model ester and Candida antarctica lipase B as the biocatalyst this equilibrium model describes the experiments satisfactorily. The model predicts that high equilibrium yields of butyric acid can be achieved only in the absence of ammoniolysis or in the presence of a separate water phase. However, high yields of butyramide should be possible if the water concentration is fixed at a low level and a more suited source of ammonia is applied.     

Studies on the synthesis of short-chain geranyl esters catalysed by Fusarium oxysporum esterase in organic solvents

A novel esterase isolated from Fusarium oxysporum was investigated for the synthesis of short-chain esters of geraniol by alcoholysis and direct esterification reactions in organic solvents. The enzyme was used as a dried powder (i.e., not immobilized). The reaction parameters affecting the enzyme behavior such as the nature of organic solvent and acyl donor, the concentration of substrates and the water activity of the system were studied. High yields (80–90%) were obtained by both approaches (alcoholysis and direct esterification) at low values of water activity (a_w=0.11) in n-hexane. The enzyme retain its catalytic activity even after fifth reuse in n-hexane at a_w=0.11, demonstrating its stability and efficiency under the conditions of this study.     

Over-stabilization of Candida antarctica lipase B by ionic liquids in ester synthesis

Four different ionic liquids, based on dialkylimidazolium cations associated with perfluorinated and bis(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl amide anions were used as reaction media for butyl butyrate synthesis catalyzed by free Candida antarctica lipase B at 2% (v/v) water content and 50 °C. Lipase had enhanced synthetic activity in all ionic liquids in comparison with two organic solvents (hexane, and 1-butanol), the enhanced activity being related to the increase in polarity of ionic liquids. The continuous operation of lipase with all the assayed ionic liquids showed over-stabilization of the enzyme. The reuse of free lipase in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate in continuous operation cycles showed a half-life time 2300 times greater than that observed when the enzyme was incubated in the absence of substrate (3.2 h), and a selectivity higher than 90%.     

Enhancement of hydrolytic activity of sphingolipid ceramide N-deacylase in the aqueous-organic biphasic system

Lysoglycosphingolipids were produced from glycosphingolipids by using sphingolipid ceramide N-deacylase, which cleaves the N-acyl linkage between fatty acids and sphingosine bases in various glycosphingolipids. The enzyme reaction was done in a biphasic media prepared with water;-immiscible organic solvent and aqueous buffer solution containing the enzyme. We investigated the effects of organic solvents and detergents on lysoglycosphingolipid production in the biphasic system. Among the organic solvents tested, n-butylbenzene, cumene, cyclodecane, cyclohexane, n-decane, diisopropylether, n-heptadecane, and methylcyclohexane promoted hydrolysis of GM1, whereas benzene, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and toluene inhibited GM1 hydrolysis. Hydrolysis of asialo GM1, GD1a, GalCer, and sulfatide was also enhanced by the addition of n-decane. The hydrolytic activity of the enzyme was enhanced by the addition of 0.8% sodium taurodeoxycholate or sodium cholate to the aqueous phase. The most effective hydrolysis of various glycosphingolipids by the enzyme was thus obtained in the aqueous-n-decane biphasic system containing 0.8% sodium taurodeoxycholate. Under this condition, the fatty acids released from GM1 by the action of the enzyme were trapped and diffused into the organic phase, while lysoGM1 remained in the aqueous phase.Thus the almost complete hydrolysis of GM1 was achieved using the biphasic system, while at most 70% of hydrolysis was obtained using normal aqueous media possibly due to the inhibition of hydrolysis reaction by accumulation of fatty acids in the reaction mixture.     

A new irreversible enzyme-aided esterification method in organic solvents

A new irreversible esterification method for carboxylic acids catalyzed by a lipase from Candida antarctica (Novozyme 435) in organic solvents has been developed. The water produced during the process is chemically destroyed by a corresponding ester of acetoacetate, which acts as a sacrificial substrate in this reaction. The flavour esters isobutyl acetate, methyl butyrate, ethyl butyrate and benzyl butyrate were synthesized either in small scale (0.05 mol) or large scale (1 mol). The yields range from 82 to 92% within 24 h at 52°C. Optimal molar ratios of reactants were 1:1:1 (carboxylic acid:alcohol:acetoacetate).     

Optical resolution of racemic 2-hydroxy octanoic acid by lipase-catalyzed hydrolysis in a biphasic membrane reactor

Racemic 2-hydroxy octanoic acid methyl ester was optically resolved by lipase-catalyzed hydrolysis in a biphasic membrane reactor using hydrophilic/hydrophobic capillary membranes. In a buffer/hexane biphasic membrane reactor using hydrophilic ultrafiltration membranes, (S)-2-hydroxy octanoic acid was recovered from the aqueous phase at 59–67% yield and 0.9–0.92 enantiomeric excess (ee), and the ester of (R)-isomer was recovered from the organic phase at 73–75% yield and 0.92–0.99 ee.