Digestion in vitro of erythritol esters by rat pancreatic juice enzymes

The mechanism of the digestion of erythritol esters was determined using rat pancreatic juice and purified pancreatic lipase (EC 3.1.1.3). Conditions of hydrolysis were used that would selectively activate or inactivate nonspecific lipase or lipase. It was shown that erythritol tetraoleate was hydrolyzed by nonspecific lipase but not by lipase. The initial digestion product was a triester, predominantly erythritol-1,2,3-trioleate. Thus, nonspecific lipase preferentially hydrolyzed the ester of a primary alcohol. In contrast to the results obtained with the tetraester, lipase could remove a fatty acid from the triester but the resulting erythritol-2,3-dioleate was not hydrolyzed by lipase. The selectivity of this hydrolysis and the inability to hydrolyze the diester are attributed to the known specificity of this enzyme to act only on esters of primary alcohols. Nonspecific lipase completely hydrolyzed erythritol tetraoleate to free erythritol in a stepwise manner. The relative rates of these reactions were tetraester --> triester --> diester --> monoester --> erythritol Because of the specificity of pancreatic lipase and the lack of specificity of nonspecific lipase it is likely that this latter enzyme is the primary agent for the hydrolysis of erythritol esters in the intact animal.     

Carboxylic ester hydrolases of rat pancreatic juice

An attempt was made to establish the number and characteristics of the enzymes in pancreatic juice that hydrolyze nitrogen- and phosphorus-free esters of fatty acids. For this purpose model compounds were hydrolyzed by lyophilized rat pancreatic juice under conditions that accelerated or inhibited the reactions. Although it is not established with certainty, it is suggested that three enzymes are responsible for the hydrolysis of fatty acid esters. The first enzyme is glycerol-ester hydrolase (EC 3.1.1.3) or lipase. This enzyme hydrolyzes water-insoluble esters of primary alcohols. The reaction occurs at an oil/water interface and is inhibited by bile salts at pH 8. The enzyme is relatively stable at pH 9, but unstable at pH 4. It has a broad pH optimum between 7.5 and 9.5. The second enzyme hydrolyzes esters of secondary alcohols and of other alcohols as well. It has an absolute requirement for bile salts and has a pH optimum at about 8. The enzyme is unstable in pancreatic juice when maintained at pH 9, probably due to the action of trypsin. It may be identical with sterol-ester hydrolase (EC 3.1.1.13). The third enzyme hydrolyzes water-soluble esters. It too has an absolute requirement for bile salts, although a smaller amount is necessary for maximum activity. This enzyme also is unstable at pH 9, but can be differentiated from the preceding enzyme by its stability at pH 4 and its pH optimum of 9.0. Carboxylic-ester hydrolase (EC 3.1.1.1) is not found in pancreatic juice, although it is present in pancreatic tissue.     

Hydrolysis of primary and secondary esters of glycerol by pancreatic juice

The relative rates of hydrolysis of the secondary ester in glycerol 1,3-benzylidene 2-oleate and in glycerol 1,3-dihexadecyl ether 2-oleate, and of the primary and secondary esters in triolein were determined. Both unaltered and selectively inactivated rat pancreatic juice were used as sources of enzyme. It was found that rat pancreatic juice contains an enzyme that can hydrolyze fatty acids esterified at the 2-position of a glyceride. This enzyme is not pancreatic lipase. It may be sterol ester hydrolase. Partial glycerides, as well as complete glycerides, can serve as substrates. Pancreatic lipase, if it can hydrolyze the 2-positioned fatty acids of a triglyceride, does so at a very slow rate.     

Lipolysis of the semi-solid self-emulsifying excipient Gelucire 44/14 by digestive lipases

Gelucire 44/14 is a semi-solid self-emulsifying excipient used for the oral delivery of poorly water-soluble drugs. It is composed of C8-C18 acylglycerols and PEG-32 esters, all of which are potential substrates for digestive lipases. Here we studied the lipolysis of Gelucire 44/14 by porcine pancreatic extracts, human pancreatic juice and several purified digestive lipases. Human pancreatic lipase (HPL), the main lipase involved in the digestion of triacylglycerols, did not show any significant activity on Gelucire 44/14 or on either of its individual compounds, C8-C18 acylglycerols and PEG-32 esters. Other pancreatic lipases such as human pancreatic lipase-related protein 2 (HPLRP2) showed low activity on Gelucire 44/14 although the highest activity of HPLRP2 was that observed on the C8-C18 acylglycerol fraction, which accounts for 20% (w/w) of Gelucire 44/14. In addition, HPLRP2 showed low activities on the PEG-32 esters, whether these were tested individually or mixed together. Carboxyl ester hydrolase (CEH) showed high activity on Gelucire 44/14, and the highest activities of CEH were those recorded on the total PEG-32 ester fraction and on each individual PEG-32 ester, except for PEG-32 monostearate. The highest activity of all the enzymes tested was that of dog gastric lipase (DGL) on Gelucire 44/14, although DGL showed low activity on the PEG-32 ester fraction and on each individual PEG-32 ester. We compared the lipolysis of Gelucire 44/14 with that of Labrasol, another self-emulsifying excipient, which is liquid at room temperature. Human pancreatic juice showed similar rates of activity on both Gelucire 44/14 and Labrasol. This finding means that these excipients are hydrolyzed in vivo during pancreatic digestion, mainly by CEH in the case of Gelucire 44/14 and by both HPLRP2 and CEH in that of Labrasol, whereas HPL showed very low activities on each of these two excipients. This is the first time the effects of PEG and acyl chain length on the lipolytic activity of digestive lipases on PEG esters have been investigated.     

Comparative study on digestive lipase activities on the self emulsifying excipient Labrasol, medium chain glycerides and PEG esters

Labrasol is a lipid-based self-emulsifying excipient used in the preparation of lipophilic drugs intended for oral delivery. It is mainly composed of PEG esters and glycerides with medium acyl chains, which are potential substrates for digestive lipases. The hydrolysis of Labrasol by porcine pancreatic extracts, human pancreatic juice and several purified digestive lipases was investigated in the present study. Classical human pancreatic lipase (HPL) and porcine pancreatic lipase, which are the main lipases involved in the digestion of dietary triglycerides, showed very low levels of activity on the entire Labrasol excipient as well as on separated fractions of glycerides and PEG esters. On the other hand, gastric lipase, pancreatic lipase-related protein 2 (PLRP2) and carboxyl ester hydrolase (CEH) showed high specific activities on Labrasol. These lipases were found to hydrolyze the main components of Labrasol (PEG esters and monoglycerides) used as individual substrates, whereas these esters were found to be poor substrates for HPL. The lipolytic activity of pancreatic extracts and human pancreatic juice on Labrasol(R) is therefore mainly due to the combined action of CEH and PLRP2. These two pancreatic enzymes, together with gastric lipase, are probably the main enzymes involved in the in vivo lipolysis of Labrasol taken orally.     

Carotenol fatty acid esters: easy substrates for digestive enzymes?

To study the specificity of gastric lipases on carotenoid mono- and diesters, an enzymatic assay was applied. Digestions were carried out in phosphate buffer at pH 7.4 and 37 °C. As substrates we employed oleoresins from marigold (Tagetes erecta L.; lutein diesters), red paprika (Capsicum annuum L., mainly capsanthin diesters), papaya (Carica papaya L.; β-cryptoxanthin esters), and loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.; β-cryptoxanthin esters) as well as retinyl palmitate. These were reacted with porcine pancreatic lipase, porcine pancreatin, porcine cholesterol esterase, and human pancreatic lipase. As reference enzyme a yeast lipase from Candida rugosa was applied. A high turnover could be observed with porcine pancreatic lipase and porcine cholesterol esterase, indicating cholesterol esterase to be a plausible candidate for generation of free carotenoids in the gut. Human pancreatic lipase accepted only retinyl palmitate as substrate, carotenoid mono- and diesters were not hydrolyzed. The assay permits an approach for calculation of enzymatic activities towards carotenoid esters as substrates for the first time, which is based on the amount of enzyme formulation, present in the assay (U/mg solid). Furthermore, these studies provide deeper insight into carotenoid ester bioaccessibility.     

Preferential hydrolysis of monohydroperoxides of linoleoyl and linolenoyl triacylglycerol by pancreatic lipase

Four triacylglycerols (TGs) containing palmitoyl and linoleoyl or linolenoyl groups in known positions were synthesized and pancreatic lipase hydrolysis of their monohydroperoxides was investigated. TG monohydroperoxides did not deactivate the lipase and were hydrolyzed at almost the same degrees as their original TGs. In the hydrolysis of unoxidized TGs, pancreatic lipase showed almost the same reactivity on palmitoyl, linoleoyl and linolenoyl groups at the 1(3)-positions. However, this enzyme had fatty acid specificity for TG monohydroperoxides and the molar concentration of hydroperoxy linoleic or linolenic acid liberated from 1(3)-positions of TG monohydroperoxides were 1.6-2.4-times higher than that of the unoxidized fatty acid from the corresponding 3(1)-positions. The susceptibility of hydroperoxy acyl components of TG monohydroperoxides to pancreatic lipase hydrolysis is explained by its molecular structure and hydrophilic property.     

Relative rates of hydrolysis by rat pancreatic lipase of esters of C2-C18 fatty acids with C1-C18 primary n-alcohols

The rate at which rat pancreatic lipase (glycerol-ester hydrolase, EC 3.1.1.3) hydrolyzes the esters of primary n-alcohols containing from 1 to 18 carbon atoms with fatty acids containing from 2 to 18 carbon atoms was determined. The speed of hydrolysis was influenced, apparently independently, by both the acyl and the alkyl chains. With respect to the fatty acid moiety, the esters of dodecanoic acid were usually split at the most rapid rate. Esters of butyric acid were the next most susceptible. In the case of the alcohol moiety, esters of heptyl alcohol were hydrolyzed most rapidly. On the basis of the pattern of the relative rates of hydrolysis, it is proposed that the influence of the alcohol component is a result of its orienting the ester molecule at the oil/water interface. The fatty acid effect is attributed to enzyme-substrate specificity.     

Stabilization of an intracellular Mucor circinelloides lipase for application in non-aqueous media

Different methods for stabilization of Mucor circinelloides lipase, facilitating its application in organic solvents were tested. Lipase was either isolated from the mycelium and immobilized on solid carriers (derivatives of cellulose, diatomaceous earth, modified porous glass) or immobilized in situ in the mycelium pellets and stabilized. The immobilized enzyme preparations were used for synthesis of sucrose, glucose, butyl and propyl oleates and caprylates, carried out in petroleum and di-n-pentyl ethers. Immobilized preparations of either crude or purified lipase isolated from the mycelium were at least 4–6 times less effective in sucrose esters synthesis than mycelium-bound lipase preparations. Lipase preparation with the highest synthetic activity was obtained by cross-linking of M. circinelloides mycelium pellets with glutardialdehyde (operational stability in sucrose caprylate synthesis was 94% after 4 runs (24 h each), and caprylic acid conversion was 91–85%). The best method for production of mechanically durable biocatalyst, which efficiently catalyzed sucrose esters synthesis, was found to be entrapment of the mycelium-bound lipase in polyvinyl pyrrolidone-containing chitosan beads solidified with hexametapolyphosphate.     

New spectrophotometric assays of acid lipase and their use in the diagnosis of Wolman and cholesteryl ester storage diseases

Trinitrophenylaminolauric acid (TNPAL) was linked to glycerol or cholesterol and the resulting yellow compounds were used as substrates for several lipases and cholesteryl esterase in cells from normal individuals and patients with Wolman's or cholesteryl ester storage diseases. Normal cells (lymphoid cell lines or skin fibroblasts) showed two peaks of lipase or cholesteryl esterase activity at about pH 4.0 and 6.0 each. The activity of the most acidic enzyme, which hydrolyzed natural or synthetic triacylglycerols as well as cholesteryl esters, was considerably reduced in cells derived from patients with Wolman's or cholesteryl ester storage diseases. Simple spectrophotometric procedures were developed for using tri-TNPAL glycerol or TNPAL cholesterol to identify homozygotes of these two respective diseases.     

Increase in the activity of Rhizopus delemar lipase on water-soluble esters by its binding with phosphatidylcholine

Rhizopus (Rh.) delemar (ATCC 34612) C-lipase was found to exhibit a slight activity towards water-soluble esters. The hydrolytic reaction of this lipase on alpha-naphthyl acetate was competitively inhibited by the presence of olive oil or Tween 80. This finding showed that both substrates, insoluble triglyceride and water-soluble ester, were hydrolyzed at the same site on the enzyme. The activities on water-soluble esters (alpha-naphthyl acetate, beta-naphthyl acetate, methyl acetylsalicylate and Tween 80) increased on binding of lipase with phosphatidylcholine (PC), although the activity on olive oil did not change. The increase in activity on water-soluble esters was due to the increase in the Vmax for its hydrolysis. It appears that local structural change of the catalytic site on lipase occurred on binding of PC to the lipase molecule and resulted in an increase in the activity on water-soluble esters. The temperature dependence of the hydrolysis of water-soluble esters demonstrated that the activation energy was lowered on binding of PC to the lipase molecule, and this resulted in an increase in the activity.     

Lipase of Mucor pusillus

Lipase of Mucor pusillus NRRL 2543 was recovered with ammonium sulfate precipitation, gel filtration on Sephadex G-75, and anion-exchange chromatography on diethylaminoethyl-Sephadex A-50. Maximal glycerol ester hydrolase (lipase) activity was observed at pH 5.0 to 5.5 and 50 C when trioctanoin and olive oil were used as substrates. The enzyme also showed esterase activity; it hydrolyzed, with the exception of methyl butyrate, all methyl esters tested. A minimum chain length of six carbons appeared to be a requirement for esterase activity, which was maximal at about pH 5.5 with methyl dodecanoate (C(12)) as the substrate. Neither the glycerol ester hydrolase (lipase) nor the esterase activity of the enzyme appeared to be affected by thiol group inhibitors, chelating agents, and reducing compounds. On the other hand, hydrolysis of triolein and methyl dodecanoate was arrested to the same extent in the presence of diisopropyl fluorophosphate, which suggested the involvement of serine in the active center of the enzyme. The enzyme remained stable during a 30-day storage at - 10 C.     

Porcine pancreatic lipase-catalized enantioselective hydrolysis of N-protected amino acid methyl-esters

Summary A preparative-scale enantioselective hydrolysis of racemic methyl esters of several N-protected amino acid has been carried out by using crude porcine pancreatic lipase (Triacylglycerol lipase, EC 3.1.1.3) PPL as a hydrolytic enzyme. In all cases 50% of the racemic methyl ester was hydrolysed to the N-protected L-amino acid with high yield and high optical purity.Hydrolysis rates were very close related not only to the amino acid structure but also to the steric and/or electronic nature of the ester and N-protecting groups. Thus, the very convenient ester methyl group can be enantioselectively hydrolysed with PPL when N-protecting group is a carbonyl derivative, as it is the usual benzoyl group.     

Concerted action of human carboxyl ester lipase and pancreatic lipase during lipid digestion in vitro: importance of the physicochemical state of the substrate

The pancreatic enzyme carboxyl ester lipase (CEL) has been shown to hydrolyse a large number of different esters, including triacylglycerols, cholesteryl esters and retinyl esters with an absolute requirement for bile salts. Some of the lipids that are substrates for CEL can also be hydrolysed by pancreatic lipase. In order to investigate the relative roles of human CEL and pancreatic lipase, the two enzymes were incubated on a pH-stat with isotope-labelled lipid substrate mixtures in physicochemical forms resembling the state of the dietary lipids in human intestinal contents. In the first set of experiments, cholesteryl oleate (CO) and retinyl palmitate (RP) were solubilised in an emulsion of triolein (TO) stabilised by egg phosphatidylcholine and bile salts. Lipase (always added together with its cofactor, colipase) hydrolysed TO, with monoolein and oleic acid as end-products, whereas CEL alone could not hydrolyse TO in the presence of phosphatidylcholine (PC). Lipase alone did not hydrolyse CO or RP, but CEL did hydrolyse these esters if lipase was present. Release of [3H]glycerol from labelled TO increased only slightly if CEL was added compared to lipase alone, suggesting that monoolein hydrolysis was slow under these conditions. In the second set of experiments, CO and RP were dissolved in bile salt/monoolein/oleic acid dispersions with varying bile salt concentrations. CEL hydrolysed CO and RP more rapidly in a system with a high bile salt concentration containing mixed micelles than in a system with a low bile salt concentration, where the lipids were dispersed in the form of mixed micellar and non-micellar aggregates; both types of aggregate have been reported to exist in human intestinal contents. In conclusion, these data suggest that the main function of CEL under physiological conditions is to hydrolyse cholesteryl and retinyl esters, provided that the triacylglycerol oil phase is hydrolysed by pancreatic lipase, which probably causes a transfer of the substrate lipids of CEL from the oil emulsion phase to an aqueous bile salt/lipolytic product phase. Depending on the bile salt/lipolytic product ratio, the substrate will reside in either micellar or non-micellar lipid aggregates, of which the micellar state is preferred by CEL.     

Purification of pancreatic carboxylic-ester hydrolase by immunoaffinity and its application to the human bile-salt-stimulated lipase

A column of immobilized antibodies directed against pure human pancreatic carboxylic (cholesterol) ester hydrolase was used to purify in a single step the enzyme from human pancreatic juice as well as carboxylic-ester hydrolases from other species (rat, dog). This immunoaffinity method was also used for the purification of the related bile-salt-stimulated lipase from the human skim milk. The enzymes were homogeneous on SDS-PAGE. The yields obtained were always higher than those previously observed using either conventional or affinity columns. The human and dog carboxylic-ester hydrolases as well as the bile-salt-stimulated lipase, in contrast to the rat enzyme, are glycoproteins. From our results, it can be speculated that these enzymes, which differ in their molecular weight but not in their N-terminal sequences or amino-acid compositions, might have a similar proteic core with a molecular mass between 65 and 75 kDa. The difference in their respective molecular masses might result from a different level of glycosylation of pancreatic carboxylic-ester hydrolases (and milk bile-salt-stimulated lipase).     

Enzymes catalyzing the hydrolysis of long-chain monoacyglycerols in rat adipose tissue

Acetone-ether preparations of epididymal fat pads from fasted or fed rats contained two enzymes catalyzing the hydrolysis of long-chain monoacylglycerols. The enzymes were identified as monoacylglycerol lipase (Tornqvist, H. and Belfrage, P., (1976) J. Biol Chem. 251, 813--819) and lipoprotein lipase by their apparent pI values after electrofocusing in non-ionic detergent, selective inhibition properties, substrate specificity and positional specificity. It was estimated that monoacylglycerol lipase accounted for about 90% of the total monoacylglycerol-hydrolyzing activity in acetone-ether preparations from fasted and 70% from fed rats. Its enzyme activity did not change with the nutritional state in contrast to that of lipoprotein lipase. The latter enzyme hydrolyzed 2-monoacylglycerols at a much lower rate than the 1(3)-isomers. Monoacylglycerol lipase was located almost entirely in the adipocytes, thus most of the enzyme activity towards monoacylglycerols in the adipose tissue was found in this site. Fractionated sucrose homogenates of rat epididymal fat pads also contained a third enzyme with monoacylglycerol-hydrolyzing activity, identified as hormone-sensitive lipase by its pI, selective inhibition properties and substrate specificity. It was estimated that hormone-sensitive lipase accounted for less than 20% of the total activity against monoacylglycerols in these tissue preparations from fasted rats. Over-all quantitative estimations emphasized the dominant role of monoacylglycerol lipase over the other two enzymes in the hydrolysis of monoacylglycerols.     

Human lysosomal acid lipase/cholesteryl ester hydrolase. Purification and properties of the form secreted by fibroblasts in microcarrier culture

Lysosomal acid lipase was purified to near homogeneity in a yield of 25-30% from secretions of human fibroblasts grown on microcarriers in spinner culture. Ammonium chloride was added to the serum-free medium to stimulate production of extracellular enzyme and minimize modifications, including proteolytic processing and destruction of the mannose 6-phosphate recognition marker, that have been associated with packaging and maturation of acid hydrolases in lysosomes. Chromatography of secretions by decyl-agarose, hydroxylapatite, phenylboronate-agarose, and gel filtration resulted in greater than 1500-fold purification of the lipase, representing a 10,000-fold increase above the specific activity of intracellular enzyme. The apparent molecular weight of approximately 49,000, estimated for the lipase by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate, was similar to that determined for the native enzyme by gel filtration (Mr approximately 47,000). By contrast, a smaller molecular weight (Mr approximately 41,000) was estimated for the intracellular enzyme. The purified enzyme was susceptible to hydrolysis by endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase H, which resulted in at least two new forms, reduced in apparent molecular weight by approximately 4,000-6,000. Treatment with the endoglycosidase did not alter the catalytic activity or heat stability of the acid lipase. However, the treated enzyme was no longer internalized by fibroblasts via the mannose 6-phosphate receptor and thereby had lost the capacity to correct cholesteryl ester accumulation in cultured lipase-deficient cells. Acid fatty acyl hydrolase activity for cholesteryl oleate, triolein, and methylumbelliferyl oleate co-purified. All three esters were hydrolyzed optimally at pH 4.0, but the pH profile was altered by addition of salts or albumin to the phospholipid-bile salt substrate mixtures. In a series of saturated fatty acyl esters of 4-methylumbelliferone, a derivative with an intermediate chain length (9 carbons) was the best substrate and was hydrolyzed at a rate comparable to that of the oleate ester at pH 4. The optimal pH for hydrolysis of the intermediate and shorter chain length esters was higher by about 2 pH units than that for the longer chain esters (pH approximately 4). The activity of the purified lipase was stimulated by several different proteins. The relationship of this effect to the possible requirement for a natural activator substance has not been determined.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Purification and characterization of intracellular lipase from the polyunsaturated fatty acid-producing fungus Mortierella alliacea

Previous studies on an arachidonic acid-producing fungus, Mortierella alliacea YN-15, suggested that its intracellular lipase plays an important role in the metabolism of exogenous and storage lipids. The lipase purified in this study through acetone precipitation and three-step chromatography was estimated to be about 11 kDa in size by SDS-PAGE and mass spectrometry, and it tended to form large aggregates in aqueous solution. The purified lipase retained its activity over wide ranges of pH (2-12) and temperature (20-80 °C). Its activity was enhanced by the Ca(2+) ion and reduced by some heavy metal ions, such as Zn(2+) and Hg(2+), and diethylpyrocarbonate. Among the various substrates tested, monoacylglycerols containing long-chain unsaturated fatty acids and phosphatidylcholine were preferentially hydrolyzed over triacylglycerols and fatty acid methyl esters. The lipase strongly hydrolyzed the sn-1/3 ester bonds and weakly hydrolyzed the sn-2 ester bonds of triolein, and it also catalyzed the acylglycerol synthesis reaction in a solvent-free two-phase system. The results indicate that triacylglycerol may be formed via 2-monoacylglycerol. Thus, the highly stable M. alliacea lipase may be useful for the synthesis of structured lipids, particularly acylglycerols containing functional unsaturated fatty acids at the sn-2 position.     

Carboxyl ester lipase: a highly polymorphic locus on human chromosome 9qter.

Carboxyl ester lipase (CEL) is a major component of pancreatic juice and is responsible for the hydrolysis of cholesterol esters as well as a variety of other dietary esters. As part of an effort to elucidate the role of this enzyme in the genetic control of lipid metabolism, we report here the chromosomal mapping of the gene for CEL to the most distal part of the long arm of human chromosome 9 using analysis of mouse-human somatic cell hybrids and in situ hybridization to chromosomes. A chromosome 9 translocation was utilized to determine the position of the CEL gene relative to various genetic markers previously localized to this region. Finally, we report that the CEL locus exhibits a high degree of polymorphism and contains a hypervariable region of the insertion/deletion variety.     

Hydrolysis of tocopheryl and retinyl esters by porcine carboxyl ester hydrolase is affected by their carboxylate moiety and bile acids

The objective of this study was to examine the in vitro hydrolysis of vitamin E esters (alpha-tocopheryl acetate, alpha-tocopheryl succinate and alpha-tocopheryl nicotinate) by pancreatic carboxyl ester hydrolase (CEH) at the concurrent presence of different bile acids at different concentrations. The assay was performed by measuring the amount of alpha-tocopherol released by porcine pancreatic juice upon addition to different solutions of alpha-tocopheryl esters, which were dispersed in bile acid mixed micelles at 37 degrees C, pH 7.4. The CEH activity was 10 U in the final assay, and the optimal concentration of cholate in this in vitro-system was determined to 30 mM for the hydrolysis of alpha-tocopheryl acetate. The hydrolysis of alpha-tocopheryl esters required presence of pancreatic juice and bile acids, and the results showed furthermore that the ability of pancreatic CEH towards hydrolysis of different alpha-tocopheryl esters increased with increasing lipophility, irrespective of the type or concentration of bile acid present in the assay. Likewise, retinyl palmitate was hydrolyzed at a faster rate than retinyl acetate. The structure of the bile acid influenced the rate of hydrolysis. Thus, cholate followed by glycodeoxy- and glycochenodeoxycholate were the most effective activators of CEH among the bile acids tested in this assay. The presence of gamma-tocopherol or all-trans-retinyl acetate in the assay showed a non-competitive inhibition of the hydrolysis rate of alpha-tocopheryl acetate.