IMMOBILIZATION OF PREGASTRIC ESTERASES IN A HOLLOW-FIBER REACTOR FOR CONTINUOUS PRODUCTION OF LIPOLYSED BUTTEROIL

Lingual lipases from calf; lamb and goat were semi-purified by cold st orage and microtitration, and subsequently immobilized by physical ads orption on hollow fibers fabricated of microporous polypropylene. The immobilized lipases were employed in a hollow fiber membrane reactor t o effect the continuous hydrolysis of a butterfat fraction that remain s liquid at 18 degrees C. The goat lipase showed higher lipolytic acti vity than the other two but all three enzymes had good selectivities f or short-chain fatty acids. No deactivation was observed for any of th e immobilized enzymes during 5 d of continuous operation. A process ba sed on this technology offers a number of advantages for the commercia l production of lipolysed butteroil.