LIPOZYME DEACTIVATION BY BUTANOL AND TEMPERATURE

The Mucor miehei lipase, Lipozyme, has been found to be vulnerable to temperature-induced deactivation. This thermodeactivation is further a ggravated by exposure to butanol. The deleterious effect of the latter on the lipase is a function of its concentration in the aqueous phase containing the enzyme. At 50 degrees C, it was found that a crucial b utanol concentration (0.81 M) exists, up to which there is only a slig ht decrease (25%) in lipase activity. Beyond this, the fall in activit y is rapid, with total deactivation at 0.99 M concentration. The deact ivation kinetics of the lipase are modeled using a series-type mechani sm.