Immobilized GDEst-95, GDEst-lip and GD-95RM lipolytic enzymes for continuous flow hydrolysis and transesterification reactions

Abstract

In this study lipolytic biocatalysts GD-95RM, GDEst-95 and GDEst-lip were immobilized by encapsulation in calcium alginate beads. All three immobilized biocatalysts demonstrated significantly increased thermal stability at 60–70 °C temperatures and the activity of GD-95RM lipase increased by 50% at 70–80 °C following the immobilization. Moreover, encapsulated GDEst-95 esterase retained higher than 50% lipolytic activity after 3 months of incubation with butanol (25%) and ethanol (50%); GDEst-lip enzyme possessed 50% activity after 2 months of treatment with ethanol (25%) and methanol (25%); and GD-95RM lipase displayed higher that 50% activity after two-week incubation with methanol (50%). All three immobilized enzymes displayed long-term storage capability (>50% activity) at least until 3 months at 4 °C. It was also detected that immobilized GD-95RM and GDEst-lip can perform flow hydrolysis of both avocado oil and p-NP dodecanoate in prototype packed-bed column reactor. The analysis of continuous transesterification of avocado or sunflower oil with ethanol or methanol as substrates confirmed that encapsulated GD-95RM and GDEst-lip enzymes is a useful approach to produce fatty acid alkyl esters.