Production of Ethyl Ester Mixture from Butter Fat by Candida cylindracea Lipase

Studies on the Production of Flavors by Biochemical Methods Part II

Abstract

Production of ethyl ester mixture from butter fat by C. cylindracea lipase was investigated in order to use as flavorant. It was observed that C. cylindracea lipase effectively converted the free fatty acids released from butter fat by lipase to ethyl esters in the presence of ethanol. Esterification reaction was followed by the titration of fatty acids and gaschromatographic analysis of ethyl esters. The optimum ethanol concentration for effective ester production was in the range of 10-12%. Final products were obtained as the mixtures of fatty acids and ethyl esters. Ethyl ester formation by C. cylindracea lipase was performed also from unhydrolyzed butter fat in the presenceof ethanol. In this case final products were also obtained as the mixtures of fatty acids and ethylesters. The rates of the esterification reaction at 14°C and 26°C were approximately the same. Ethyl ester profiles in various stages of esterification reaction showed that C₄, C₁₀ fatty acids were esterified more rapidly than others, and the esterification rates of C₆, C₁₄ fatty acids were relatively slow. This tendency was about the same for both hydrolyzed and unhydrolyzed substrates. Through this investigation, a production method of ethyl ester mixture from butter by C. cylindracea lipase was established and this product was ascertained to be able to be widely used as a flavor material.