Process intensification of immobilized lipase catalysis by microwave irradiation in the synthesis of 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid (MCPA) esters

4-Chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid (MCPA) is a selective systemic herbicide which is absorbed by leaves and roots. MCPA esters are preferred due to their low water solubility and environmental friendliness. Esterification of MCPA with n-butanol was investigated as a model reaction using immobilized enzymes under the influence of microwave irradiation. Different immobilized enzymes such as Novozym 435, Lipozyme TL IM, Lipozyme RM IM and Lipase AYS Amano were studied under microwave irradiation amongst which Novozym 435 (immobilized Candida antarctica lipase B) was the best catalyst. Effects of various parameters were systematically studied on rates and conversion. Under microwave irradiation, the initial rates were observed to increase up to 2-fold. Under optimized conditions of 0.1 mmol MCPA and 0.3 mmol n-butanol in 15 mL 1,4-dioxane as solvent, Novozym 435 showed a conversion of 83% at 60 °C in 6 h. Based on initial rate and progress curve data, the reaction was shown to follow the Ping Pong bi–bi mechanism with inhibition by MCPA and n-butanol. Esterification of MCPA was also studied with different alcohols such as isopropyl alcohol, n-pentanol, n-hexanol, benzyl alcohol and 2-ethyl-1-hexanol.     

Lipase catalyzed synthesis of cinnamyl acetate via transesterification in non-aqueous medium

Cinnamyl acetate is used as flavor and fragrance ingredient in food and cosmetic industries. This work focuses on the synthesis of cinnamyl acetate via lipase catalyzed transesterification of cinnamyl alcohol with vinyl acetate in non-aqueous medium. Among the different immobilized lipases employed, Novozym 435 was found to be the best catalyst in toluene as solvent. The effects of various parameters were studied systematically. With a mole ratio of 1:2 of cinnamyl alcohol to vinyl acetate and 10 mg catalyst, 96% conversion was obtained in 1 h at 40 °C. The ternary complex mechanism with inhibition by cinnamyl alcohol was found to fit the data well. The kinetics of the reaction was studied by using non-linear regression analysis. Enzymatic synthesis of cinnamyl acetate is an efficient process vis-à-vis chemical catalysis.     

Enzymatic production of glycerol acetate from glycerol

In this study, we report the enzymatic production of glycerol acetate from glycerol and methyl acetate. Lipases are essential for the catalysis of this reaction. To find the optimum conditions for glycerol acetate production, sequential experiments were designed. Type of lipase, lipase concentration, molar ratio of reactants, reaction temperature and solvents were investigated for the optimum conversion of glycerol to glycerol acetate. As the result of lipase screening, Novozym 435 (Immobilized Candida antarctica lipase B) was turned out to be the optimal lipase for the reaction. Under the optimal conditions (2.5 g/L of Novozym 435, 1:40 molar ratio of glycerol to methyl acetate, 40 °C and tert-butanol as the solvent), glycerol acetate production was achieved in 95.00% conversion.     

Synthesis of methyl (R)-3-(4-fluorophenyl)glutarate via enzymatic desymmetrization of a prochiral diester

An efficient procedure for enzymatic desymmetrization of the prochiral dimethyl 3-(4-fluorophenyl)glutarate (3-DFG) in an aqueous–organic phase was successfully developed to prepare methyl (R)-3-(4-fluorophenyl)glutarate ((R)-3-MFG). Novozym 435 was selected as a highly efficient biocatalyst through lipase screening. The effects of various parameters in terms of co-solvent and its concentration, buffer pH, ionic strength and reaction temperature, on the reaction were investigated. It was found that 0.2 M phosphate buffer (pH 8.0) containing 20% MTBE (v/v) was the optimum reaction medium, and the optimum reaction temperature was 30 °C. Under the optimized reaction conditions, (R)-3-MFG was obtained in 95.6% ee value and 92.6% yield after 64 h when the concentration of 3-DFG and Novozym 435 were 200 mmol/l and 20 g/l respectively. Furthermore, Novozym 435 showed an excellent operational stability, retaining above 95% of the initial activity and enantioselectivity after 10 cycles of reaction. The developed method has a potential to be used for efficient enzymatic production of (R)-3-MFG.     

Ultrasonic irradiation with vibration for biodiesel production from soybean oil by Novozym 435

The production of biodiesel with soybean oil and methanol through transesterification by Novozym 435 (Candida antarctica lipase B immobilized on polyacrylic resin) were conducted under two different conditions—ultrasonic irradiation and vibration to compare their overall effects. Compared with vibration, ultrasonic irradiation significantly enhanced the activity of Novozym 435. The reaction rate was further increased under the condition of ultrasonic irradiation with vibration (UIV). Effects of reaction conditions, such as ultrasonic power, water content, organic solvents, ratio of solvent/oil, ratio of methanol/oil, enzyme dosage and temperature on the activity of Novozym 435 were investigated under UIV. Under the optimum conditions (50% of ultrasonic power, 50 rpm vibration, water content of 0.5%, tert-amyl alcohol/oil volume ratio of 1:1, methanol/oil molar ratio of 6:1, 6% Novozym 435 and 40 °C), 96% yield of fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) could be achieved in 4 h. Furthermore, repeated use of Novozym 435 after five cycles showed no obvious loss in enzyme activity, which suggested this enzyme was stable under the UIV condition. These results indicated that UIV was a fast and efficient method for biodiesel production.     

Enzyme catalyzed transesterification of waste cooking oil with dimethyl carbonate

The detrimental effects of waste cooking oil on sewer system attracted attention toward its proper management and reusing this waste oil for making biodiesel provides commercial and environmental advantage. In the present study, biodiesel has been successfully produced from waste cooking oil and dimethyl carbonate by transesterification, instead of the conventional alcohol. In this optimization study, the effect of various reaction conditions such as solvent, time and temperature, molar ratio of DMC to oil, enzyme loading and reusability, on the yield of fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) has been studied. The Maximum conversion of FAMEs achieved was 77.87% under optimum conditions (solvent free system, reaction time of 24 h, 60 °C, molar ratio of DMC to oil 6:1, catalyst amount 10% Novozym 435 (based on the oil weight)). Moreover, there was no obvious loss in the conversion after lipases were reused for 6 batches under optimized conditions.     

Enhancement of Novozym-435 catalytic properties by physical or chemical modification

Physical (ionic exchange of ionic polymers) or chemical (aminoethylamidation, succinylation, hydroxyethylamidation) modifications of Novozym 435 have been performed and the resulting biocatalysts have been assayed in diverse reactions. The coating of the immobilized enzyme with dextran-sulphate via ionic exchange permitted to increase the asymmetric factor of the biocatalyst from A = 13 (ee = 83%) to 24 (ee > 90%) in the hydrolysis of 3-phenylglutaric acid dimethyl diester, producing the (R)-monomethyl ester. The chemical succinylation of Novozym 435 permitted to enhance the biocatalyst enantiospecificity from E = 1 to 13 in the hydrolysis of (±)-mandelic acid methyl ester. In the hydrolysis of (±)-2-O-butyryl-2-phenylacetic acid, the enantiospecificity of Novozym 435 was very high towards the S-enantiomer (E > 100) but it was inverted after the chemical hydroxyethylamidation of the immobilized enzyme (E = 6.6 towards R-enantiomer).Thus, these simple protocols seem to be a very powerful tool to generate a library of biocatalysts from Novozym 435 with very different catalytic properties.     

Optimized enzymatic synthesis of ascorbyl esters from lard using Novozym 435 in co-solvent mixtures

A mild and efficient method for the conversion of fatty acid methyl esters from lard into ascorbyl esters via lipase-catalyzed transesterification in co-solvent mixture is described. A solvent engineering strategy was firstly applied to improve fatty acid ascorbyl esters production. The co-solvent mixture of 30% t-pentanol:70% isooctane (v/v) was optimal. Response surface methodology (RSM) and central composite design (CCD) were employed to estimate the effects of reaction parameters, such as reaction time (12–36 h), temperature (45–65 °C), enzyme amount (10–20%, w/w, of fat acid methyl esters), and substrate molar ratio of fatty acid methyl esters to ascorbic acid (8:1–12:1) for the synthesis of fatty acid ascorbyl esters in co-solvent mixture. Based on the RSM analysis, the optimal reaction conditions were determined as follows: reaction time 34.32 h, temperature 54.6 °C, enzyme amount 12.5%, substrate molar ratio 10.22:1 and the maximum conversion of fatty acid ascorbyl esters was 69.18%. The method proved to be applicable for the synthesis of ascorbyl esters using Novozym 435 in solvent.     

Efficient synthesis of 5′-O-laurate of 1-β-d-arabinofuranosylcytosine via highly regioselective enzymatic acylation in binary solvent mixtures

Regioselective enzymatic acylations of 1-β-d-arabinofuranosylcytosine (ara-C) with vinyl laurate (VL) in binary organic solvents were explored for the preparation of 5′-O-laurate of ara-C. Among the nine kinds of enzymes, Novozym 435 showed the highest regioselectivity (>99.9%) towards the 5′-OH of ara-C. This lipase showed higher catalytic activity in hexane–pyridine than in other tested solvent mixtures. The most suitable VL to ara-C molar ratio, initial water activity, and reaction temperature were shown to be 15:1, 0.07, and 50 °C, respectively, under which the initial reaction rate and the maximum substrate conversion were as high as 84.0 mmol L^?1 h^?1 and 98.1%, respectively. The product of Novozym 435-catalyzed acylation was characterized by ¹³C NMR and confirmed to be 5′-O-laurate of ara-C.     

Enzymatic synthesis of isoniazid in non-aqueous medium

The reaction of ethyl isonicotinate (ethyl 4-pyridine carboxylate) with hydrazine hydrate as a nucleophile was conducted in 1,4-dioxane as a solvent to produce 4-pyridine carboxylic acid hydrazide (isoniazid) with different immobilized lipases. Isoniazid is an important agent in the treatment of tuberculosis and it can be synthesized via Novozym 435 as the catalyst. Equimolar quantities of reactants (3.33 × 10⁻⁴ mol/cm³ each) in 30 mL solution with 1.67 × 10⁻³ g/cm³ Novozym 435 leads to 52% conversion in 24 h. Based on the initial rate studies and concentration profiles (progress curve) analysis, a complete rate equation is proposed taking into account the irreversible inactivation caused by ethyl isonicotinate at very high concentrations. The kinetic model follows the ternary complex mechanism with dead end inhibition by ethyl isonicotinate.     

Novozym 435-catalyzed 1,3-diacylglycerol preparation via esterification in t-butanol system

1,3-Diacylglycerol (1,3-DAG) oil has beneficial effects on suppressing the accumulation of body fat and preventing the increase of body weight. So, more and more attention has been paid to enzyme-mediated 1,3-DAG production in recent years due to its mild reaction condition and safe products. In this work, t-butanol was adopted as the reaction medium for lipase-catalyzed esterification for 1,3-DAG preparation. In t-butanol system, the harmful effects on lipase caused by glycerol could be eliminated completely, so the high enzymatic activity was maintained and the stability of the lipase could be improved significantly. Under the optimum conditions (60 °C, 1.00 g Novozym 435, 2.5:1 molar ratio of oleic acid to glycerol (10.0 g oleic acid and 1.3 g glycerol) and 6.0 g t-butanol), 1,3-DAG concentration of 40% was achieved and Novozym 435 can be used 100 times. A simplified model based on Ping-Pong Bi-Bi with substrate competitive inhibition by glycerol was found to fit the initial rate data and the kinetics parameters were evaluated by nonlinear regression analysis.     

Optimization and kinetic study on the synthesis of palm oil ester using Lipozyme TL IM

Enzymatic synthesis of palm oil esters (POE) was carried out via alcoholysis of palm oil (PO) and oleyl alcohol (OA) catalyzed by Lipozyme TL IM. The optimum reaction conditions were: temperature: 60 °C; enzyme load: 24.7 wt%; substrate ratio: 1:3 (PO/OA), impeller speed: 275 rpm and reaction time: 3 h. At the optimum condition, the conversion of POE was 79.54%. Reusability study showed that Lipozyme TL IM could be used for 5 cycles with conversion above 50%. The alcoholysis reaction kinetic follows the Ping-Pong Bi-Bi mechanism characterized by the V_max, K_m(PO), and K_m(OA) values of 32.7 mmol/min, 0.3147 mmol/ml and 0.9483 mmol/ml, respectively. The relationship between initial reaction rate and temperature was also established based on the Arrhenius law.     

Biocatalytic acylation of sugar alcohols by 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propionic acid

Enzymatic synthesis of aromatic esters of four different sugar alcohols (xylitol, arabitol, mannitol, and sorbitol) with 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propionic acid was performed in organic solvent medium, using immobilized Candida antarctica lipase (Novozyme 435), and molecular sieves for control of the water content. The influence of reaction parameters on the conversion has been investigated, including reaction time, temperature, alcohol/acid molar ratio, and enzyme amount. The highest conversions (94% for xylitol, 98% for arabitol, 80% for mannitol, and 93% for sorbitol) were obtained in pure tert-butanol at 60 °C and 72 h reaction time, 0.3 alcohol/acid molar ratio, and 0.5 g/mol enzyme/substrate ratio. The isolated new sugar alcohols esters were identified by different spectral analyses. MALDI-TOF MS analysis showed the formation of monoesters, diesters, and small quantities of triesters for all investigated sugar alcohols. The catalytic efficiency of the enzyme was higher for the pentitol substrates, decreasing in the following order: arabitol > xylitol > sorbitol > mannitol. These new compounds could have interesting applications in food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic formulations.     

Production of human milk fat substitutes enriched in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids using immobilized commercial lipases and Candida parapsilosis lipase/acyltransferase

In human milk fat (HMF), palmitic acid (20–30%), the major saturated fatty acid, is mostly esterified at the sn-2 position of triacylglycerols, while unsaturated fatty acids are at the sn-1,3 positions, conversely to that occurring in vegetable oils.This study aims at the production of HMF substitutes by enzyme-catalyzed interesterification of tripalmitin with (i) oleic acid (system I) or (ii) omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3 PUFA) (system II) in solvent-free media. Interesterification activity and batch operational stability of commercial immobilized lipases from Rhizomucor miehei (Lipozyme RM IM), Thermomyces lanuginosa (Lipozyme TL IM) and Candida antarctica (Novozym 435) from Novozymes, DK, and Candida parapsilosis lipase/acyltransferase immobilized on Accurel MP 1000 were evaluated. After 24-h reaction at 60 °C, molar incorporation of oleic acid was about 27% for all the commercial lipases tested and 9% with C. parapsilosis enzyme. Concerning omega-3 PUFA, the highest incorporations were observed with Novozym 435 (21.6%) and Lipozyme RM IM (20%), in contrast with C. parapsilosis enzyme (8.5%) and Lipozyme TL IM (8.2%). In system I, Lipozyme RM IM maintained its activity for 10 repeated 23-h batches while for Lipozyme TL IM, Novozym 435 and C. parapsilosis enzyme, linear (half-life time, t_1/2 = 154 h), series-type (t_1/2 = 253 h) and first-order (t_1/2 = 34.5 h) deactivations were respectively observed. In system II, Lipozyme RM IM showed linear deactivation (t_1/2 = 276 h), while Novozym 435 (t_1/2 = 322 h) and C. parapsilosis enzyme (t_1/2 = 127 h), presented series-type deactivation. Both activity and stability of the biocatalysts depended on the acyl donor used.     

Operational stabilities of different chemical derivatives of Novozym 435 in an alcoholysis reaction

Industrial use of Novozym 435 in synthesis of structured lipids and biodiesel via alcoholysis is limited by mass transfer effects of the glycerides through immobilized enzymes and its low operational stability under operation conditions. To better understand this, differently modified Novozym 435 preparations, differing in their surface nature and in their interactions with reactants, have been compared in the alcoholysis of Camelina sativa oil. The three modifications performed have been carried out under conditions where all exposed groups of the enzyme have been modified. These modifications were: 2,4,6-trinitrobenzensulfonic acid (Novo-TNBS), ethylendiamine (Novo-EDA) and polyethylenimine (Novo-PEI). Changes in their operational performance are analyzed in terms of changes detected by scan electron microscopy in the support morphology.The hydrophobic nature of the TNBS accelerates the reaction rate; t-ButOH co-solvent swells the macroporous acrylic particles of Lewatit VP OC 1600 in all biocatalysts, except in the case of Novo-PEI. This co-solvent only increases the maximal conversions obtained at 24 h using the modified biocatalysts. t-ButOH reduces enzyme inactivation by alcohol and water. In a co-solvent system, these four biocatalysts remain fully active after 14 consecutive reaction cycles of 24 h, but only Novo-TNBS yields maximal conversion before cycle 5. Some deposits on biocatalyst particles could be appreciated during reuses, and TNBS derivatization diminishes the accumulation of product deposits on the catalyst surface. Most particles of commercial Novozym^® 435 are broken after operation for 14 reaction cycles. The broken particles are fully active, but they cause problems of blockage in filtration operations and column reactors. The three derivatizations studied make the matrix particles more resistant to rupture.     

Isoamyl acetate synthesis in imidazolium-based ionic liquids using packed bed enzyme microreactor

The acylation of isoamyl alcohol with acetic anhydride catalyzed by immobilized Candida antarctica lipase B was studied in ionic liquids (ILs) based on quaternary imidazolium cations with alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, benzyl, alkoxyl or N-aminopropyl side chains. Among the tested ILs, the highest enzyme activity together with the highest isoamyl acetate yield were obtained in [C₇mmim][Tf₂N]. No loss of lipase B activity was observed during one-month incubation in this hydrophobic IL without the presence of substrates. Isoamyl acetate synthesis using [C₇mmim][Tf₂N] as solvent was further studied in a continuously operated miniaturized enzymatic packed bed reactor at various flow rates and temperatures. Up to 92% isoamyl acetate yield could be obtained within 15 min by using 0.5 M acetic anhydride and 1.5 M isoamyl alcohol inlet concentrations at 55 °C, corresponding to the volumetric productivity of 61 mmol l^?1 min^?1, which to the best of our knowledge is the highest reported so far for this reaction. No decrease in productivity was experienced during the subsequent runs of continuous microbioreactor operation performed within 14 consecutive days. The benefits of reactor miniaturization along with the green solvent application were therefore successfully exploited for the development of a sustainable flavour ester production.     

Microwave-assisted enzymatic resolution of (R,S)-2-octanol in ionic liquid

Combination use of microwave irradiation (MW) as heating mode and ionic liquid (IL) as reaction medium in enzymatic resolution of (R,S)-2-octanol with vinyl acetate as the acyl donor through transesterification by Novozym 435 was investigated. A synergistic effect of MW and IL [EMIM][NTf2], which was screened as the best reaction medium for this reaction, on improving enzyme activity and enantioselectivity was observed. The activity and enantioselectivity of Novozym 435 in [EMIM][NTf2] under MW were much higher than that in solvent free system under conventional heating, in solvent free system under MW, and in [EMIM][NTf2] under conventional heating, respectively. A systematic screening and optimization of the reaction parameters in [EMIM][NTf2] under MW were performed. Under the optimum conditions, 50% yield of (S)-2-octanol with 99% enantiomeric excess was obtained in 6 h. Furthermore, increased thermal stability and reusability of Novozym 435 under the combination use of MW and IL condition were also observed.     

Preparation of a biocatalyst via physical adsorption of lipase from Thermomyces lanuginosus on hydrophobic support to catalyze biolubricant synthesis by esterification reaction in a solvent-free system

Lipase from Thermomyces lanuginosus (TLL) was immobilized on mesoporous hydrophobic poly-methacrylate (PMA) particles via physical adsorption (interfacial activation of the enzyme on the support). The influence of initial protein loading (5–200 mg/g of support) on the catalytic properties of the biocatalysts was determined in the hydrolysis of olive oil emulsion and synthesis of isoamyl oleate (biolubricant) by esterification reaction. Maximum adsorbed protein loading and hydrolytic activity were respectively ≈100 mg/g and ≈650 IU/g using protein loading of 150 mg/g of support. The adsorption process followed the Langmuir isotherm model (R² = 0.9743). Maximum ester conversion around 85% was reached after 30 min of reaction under continuous agitation (200 rpm) using 2500 mM of each reactant in a solvent-free system, 45 °C, 20% m/v of the biocatalyst prepared using 100 mg of protein/g of support. Apparent thermodynamic parameters of the esterification reaction were also determined. Under optimal experimental conditions, reusability tests of the biocatalyst (TLL-PMA) after thirty successive cycles of reaction were performed. TLL-PMA fully retained its initial activity up to twenty two cycles of reaction, followed by a slight decrease around 8.6%. The nature of the product (isoamyl oleate) was confirmed by attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR), proton (¹H NMR) and carbon (¹³C NMR) nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy analyses.     

Practical synthesis of 1,3-oleoyl 2-docosahexaenoylglycerol by lipase-catalyzed reactions: An evaluation of different reaction routes

Three new synthetic routes were critically evaluated for the lipase-catalyzed production of 1,3-oleoyl-2 docosahexaenoylglycerol (ODO) in relatively large-scale (approximately 200 g). First, the production of 1,3-diolein by the reaction of glycerol and oleic acid followed by incorporation of docosahexaenoic (DHA) ethyl ester at the sn-2 position was studied. 1,3-Diolein was produced in 68.3% and 84.6% yield when stoichiometric amounts of the substrates were reacted at 25 °C for 8 h in the presence of 10% Novozym 435 and Lipozyme RM IM, respectively. Further increase in reaction temperature and time led to decrease in the 1,3-diolein yield. However, only a 9.4% yield of triacylglycerol was obtained in the subsequent reaction step when the 1,3-diolein was reacted with DHA ethyl ester in the presence of Novozym 435. Secondly, the feasibility of direct acidolysis was studied. Acidolysis of single cell oil (SCO) in excess oleic acid using Novozym 435 as the catalyst occurred twice as fast in solvent (tert-butanol) compared to a solvent-free system, and 63% oleic acid was incorporated into SCO. However, the regio-isomeric purity of the product was poor. Finally, the ethanolysis of SCO to produce DHA-enriched 2-monoacylglycerol followed by esterification with oleic acid or ethyl oleate was investigated. ODO was obtained in 50.9% regio-purity by Lipozyme RM IM-catalyzed esterification. The latter method was the most feasible for preparing ODO in large-scale. This synthetic route could be adapted for related triacylglycerols containing highly polyunsaturated when their productions in large-scale and high regio-purity are required.     

Kinetic model of biodiesel production using immobilized lipase Candida antarctica lipase B

We have designed a kinetic model of biodiesel production using Novozym 435 (Nz435) with immobilized Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB) as a catalyst. The scheme assumed reversibility of all reaction steps and imitated phase effects by introducing various molecular species of water and methanol. The global model was assembled from separate reaction blocks analyzed independently. Computer simulations helped to explore behavior of the reaction system under different conditions. It was found that methanolysis of refined oil by CALB is slow, because triglycerides (T) are the least reactive substrates. Conversion to 95% requires 1.5–6 days of incubation depending on the temperature, enzyme concentration, glycerol inhibition, etc. Other substrates, free fatty acids (F), diglycerides (D) and monoglycerides (M), are utilized much faster (1–2 h). This means that waste oil is a better feedstock for CALB. Residual enzymatic activity in biodiesel of standard quality causes increase of D above its specification level because of the reaction 2M ↔ D + G. Filtration or alkaline treatment of the product prior to storage resolves this problem. The optimal field of Nz435 application appears to be decrease of F, M, D in waste oil before the conventional alkaline conversion. Up to 30-fold reduction of F-content can be achieved in 1–2 h, and the residual enzyme (if any) does not survive the following alkaline treatment.