Optimization of enzymatic hydrolysis of triglycerides in soy deodorized distillate with supercritical carbon dioxide

Enzymatic hydrolysis of triglycerides of soy deodorized distillate (DOD), using immobilized Candida rugosa lipase under supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO₂) medium, was carried out. Optimization of the reaction parameters using response surface methodology based on Box-Behnken model at three levels of pressure (120–180 bar), temperature (40–60 °C) and moisture content (40–80% of triglyceride content) for maximum hydrolysis of triglycerides was arrived by multilinear regression of the experimental results. The optimum conditions for maximum degree of triglyceride hydrolysis (94%) were found to be: pressure of 180 bar, temperature of 43 °C and moisture content of 40% to the triglyceride content. Maximum degree of hydrolysis was achieved with short incubation time of 1.5 h under SC-CO₂. Whereas conventional method of hydrolysis in hexane under similar reaction conditions of temperature, moisture and enzyme concentration, needs 5 h to achieve 88% of triglyceride hydrolysis.