SUGAR ESTER-MODIFIED LIPASE FOR THE ESTERIFICATION OF FATTY-ACIDS ANDLONG-CHAIN ALCOHOLS

The esterification reaction of a long-chain fatty acid and a fatty alc ohol with a surfactant-modified lipase in a macroaqueous n-hexane syst em was studied. Various lipases from different sources were first modi fied with a surfactant of the sugar ester type to improve their disper sibility in apolar organic solvents. This enzyme modification techniqu e converted inactive crude lipases to highly active biocatalysts for t he esterification of long-chain fatty acids and fatty alcohols in a mi croaqueous n-hexane system. The hydrophilic-lipophilic balance value a nd chainlength of the fatty acid residue of the fatty acid sugar ester , used for modifying the lipases, significantly influenced the amount of precipitated lipase that was dissolved in the aqueous solution, the protein content of the lipase-surfactant complex and its esterificati on activity.