Effects of Alcohol and Buffer Treatments on the Activity and Enantioselectivity of Candida rugosa Lipase

Abstract

Several treatments were employed on Candida rugosa lipase (CRL) to improve its biocatalytic performance. Besides conventional alcohol treatment conditions, the effects of pH of the buffer solution used in the treatment as well as the changes in stirring, dialysis, and centrifugation steps of the treatment procedure were investigated for the first time for the resolution of racemic naproxen methyl ester. The highest enantioselectivity and conversion in S-naproxen production were achieved by CRL treated with pH 7.5 buffer solution. The elimination of the centrifugation step resulted in an increase in the enantioselectivity, whereas alcohol treatment of CRL was found to be inconvenient for S-naproxen production. Higher activity for p-nitrophenyl acetate was achieved when 20% butanol and pH 4 buffer solution were used, and when dialysis and stirring times were shortened.