ESTERIFICATION OF METHYL GLYCOSIDE MIXTURES BY LIPASE CATALYSIS

The acylation of a mixture of methyl alpha-D-galacto-, methyl beta-D-g luco- and methyl beta-D-mannopyranosides by octanoic acid was catalyse d by lipases from Candida antarctica, Pseudomonas cepacia, Candida rug osa OF or Mucor miehei in acetonitrile at 45 degrees C. The methyl gly copyranosides had the same anomeric configuration as that of the softw ood hemicellulose galactoglucomannan. C. rugosa OF lipase had almost n o substrate specificity and P. cepacia lipase had a high substrate spe cificity for the esterification of methyl alpha-D-galactopyranoside.