Optimization of isoamyl acetate production by using immobilized lipase from Mucor miehei by response surface methodology

Immobilized lipase from Mucor miehei was employed for the esterification of isoamyl alcohol with acetic acid in n-heptane solvent. The important proce ss variables studied were enzyme/substrate (E/S) ratio, alcohol (acid) conc entration, and incubation period. Based on Box-Behnken design of experiment s, a second order response function was developed. The percentage esterific ation increased with both E/S ratio and time and decreased with alcohol (ac id) concentration. The model indicated optimum conditions for maximum ester ification ranging from 20 to 99.6% in the alcohol (acid) concentration rang e of 0.031 to 0.3 M for a range of E/S ratios 8.33 to 50 g/mol, which were in good agreement with the experimental yields. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science I nc. All rights reserved.