title: Esterification of fatty acids using Candida antarctica lipase A in water-abundant systems.
abstract: The feasibility of using native lipase A from Candida antarctica (CAL-A) to esterify fatty acids with water-insoluble alcohols in the presence of excess water was investigated in stirred-tank reactors. For high reaction rates, a ratio of water:substrates of 0.6-1.4:1 (v/v) was required. CAL-A showed higher substrate selectivity for the esterification of saturated palmitic acid with branched-chain 2-ethyl-1-hexanol than for unsaturated oleic acid with linear alcohol (1-decanol). After 18 h at 70 °C in a 1.5 l bulk stirred-tank reactor, an 2-ethyl-1-hexyl palmitic acid ester was obtained near 100 % yield [molar ratio palmitic acid:2-ethyl-1-hexanol ~1:1.25, with 1.11 % (w/w) Novocor ADL (based on palmitic acid weight)].
authors.affiliation: BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, Richard-Willstätter-Str. 11, 12489, Berlin, Germany. rudolf.brenneis@bam.de
authors.forename: Rudolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brenneis
authors.forename: Burkhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Baeck
mesh_terms: D019149:Bioreactors; D002175:Candida / Q000201:enzymology*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004951:Esterification; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D000441:Hexanols / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D010168:Palmitates / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D019308:Palmitic Acid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D002787:Sterol Esterase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D005656:Fungal Proteins; D000441:Hexanols; D010168:Palmitates; D014867:Water; C032207:ethylhexyl palmitate; D019308:Palmitic Acid; D002787:Sterol Esterase; C034017:2-ethylhexanol