title: Sugar ester surfactants: enzymatic synthesis and applications in food industry.
abstract: Sugar esters are non-ionic surfactants that can be synthesized in a single enzymatic reaction step using lipases. The stability and efficiency of lipases under unusual conditions and using non-conventional media can be significantly improved through immobilization and protein engineering. Also, the development of de novo enzymes has seen a significant increase lately under the scope of the new field of synthetic biology. Depending on the esterification degree and the nature of fatty acid and/or sugar, a range of sugar esters can be synthesized. Due to their surface activity and emulsifying capacity, sugar esters are promising for applications in food industry.
authors.affiliation: a Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering (IBB), Centre of Biological Engineering , University of Minho , Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga , Portugal.
authors.forename: Nair S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Neta
authors.forename: José A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.forename: Lígia R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
mesh_terms: D002241:Carbohydrates; D019422:Dietary Sucrose / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D004800:Enzymes, Immobilized / Q000378:metabolism*; D004951:Esterification; D004952:Esters; D005227:Fatty Acids; D019649:Food Industry; D008049:Lipase / Q000378:metabolism*; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000138:chemical synthesis*
chemical_list: D002241:Carbohydrates; D019422:Dietary Sucrose; D004800:Enzymes, Immobilized; D004952:Esters; D005227:Fatty Acids; D013501:Surface-Active Agents; D008049:Lipase
keywords: Sugar ester surfactant; food industry application; immobilization; lipase; organic reaction