BIENZYMATIC REACTION FOR HYDROPEROXIDE PRODUCTION IN A MULTIPHASIC SYSTEM

The bioconversion of polyunsaturated fatty acid triacylglycerols to hy droperoxides by the bienzymatic system consisting of lipase (EC 3.1.1. 3)/lipoxygenase (EC 1.13.11.12) was investigated in a compartmentalize d medium (octane/buffer pH 9, v/v = 1/5). The presence of an organic p hase (octane) in the system allowed high solubility of acylglycerols a nd a well-controlled partition of the components in the medium. Triacy lglycerols were solubilized in octane and hydrolyzed by the lipase at the interface with the aqueous phase. Liberated polyunsaturated fatty acids then transferred to the aqueous phase and reacted with lipoxygen ase. The products of this second reaction, hydroperoxides, were hydrop hilic and therefore remained in the aqueous phase. Behavior of the two successive enzymatic reactions and their dependence on the surroundin g media were studied in a multiphasic reactor. Total yield: [hydropero xide]/[triacylglycerol] was studied as a function of the system condit ions and with different enzymes and substrates. High yields were obtai ned especially when rising trilinolein as substrate in the presence of lipase from Mucor javanicus and the soybean lipoxygenase-1. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Inc.