Effects of Substrate Solubility in Interesterification with Triolein by Immobilized Lipase in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide

Abstract

  The interesterification reaction by immobilized lipase between triolein and behenic acid (BA) or ethyl behenate (EB) was investigated in supercritical carbon dioxide (SCCO₂) to produce 1,3-dibehenoyl-2-oleoyl glycerol (BOB). The incorporation rate of behenoyl group to triolein was much higher with EB as a substrate than with BA. The solubility in SCCO₂ was found to be significantly higher for EB than BA, which seemed to cause the higher formation rate of the behenoyl-enzyme complex in the former case to give the higher production rate of the final interesterification product, BOB.