Continuous synthesis of lauroyl or oleoyl erythritol by a packed-bed reactor with an immobilized lipase

Esters in the Food and Cosmetic Industries: An Overview of the Reactors Used in Their Biocatalytic Synthesis

Esters are versatile compounds with a wide range of applications in various industries due to their unique properties and pleasant aromas. Conventionally, the manufacture of these compounds has relied on the chemical route. Nevertheless, this technique employs high temperatures and inorganic catalysts, resulting in undesired additional steps to purify the final product by removing solvent residues, which decreases environmental sustainability and energy efficiency. In accordance with the principles of "Green Chemistry" and the search for more environmentally friendly methods, a new alternative, the enzymatic route, has been introduced. This technique uses low temperatures and does not require the use of solvents, resulting in more environmentally friendly final products. Despite the large number of studies published on the biocatalytic synthesis of esters, little attention has been paid to the reactors used for it. Therefore, it is convenient to gather the scattered information regarding the type of reactor employed in these synthesis reactions, considering the industrial field in which the process is carried out. A comparison between the performance of the different reactor configurations will allow us to draw the appropriate conclusions regarding their suitability for each specific industrial application. This review addresses, for the first time, the above aspects, which will undoubtedly help with the correct industrial implementation of these processes.

Production of Pentaerythritol Monoricinoleate (PEMR) by immobilized Candida antarctica lipase B

In the present study, green synthesis of pentaerythritol monoricinoleate (PEMR) was carried out using Candida antarctica lipase B immobilized on hydrophobic adsorbent via interfacial activation. Various reaction parameters such as reaction time, organic solvent, molar ratio, the enzyme load, and presence of molecular sieves on pentaerythritol (PE) ester synthesis were systematically studied to yield selective monoester of PE. The strategies (smart use of substrate molar ratio and polar organic solvent) were employed to suppress dimerization of ricinoleic acid (RA) to avoid by-product formation and hence to obtain superior mono-ester yield. Under optimized conditions viz. substrate molar ratio of 4 (PE):1 (RA) with 2% enzyme load and 200 g/L molecular sieves in the presence of tert-butanol, 93% substrate molar conversion in 24 h reaction time was obtained. The synthesized PEMR was also characterized using FT-IR and Mass spectroscopy. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report describing the enzymatic synthesis of PEMR.

Continuous Laminaribiose Production Using an Immobilized Bienzymatic System in a Packed Bed Reactor

The first continuous production system of laminaribiose from sucrose and glucose in a bienzymatic reaction is reported in this study. Immobilized laminaribiose phosphorylase and sucrose phosphorylase were used in a packed bed reactor system comprising of a 3-cm glass column at 35 °C with a steady feeding flow rate of 0.1 ml/min. Factors affecting product formation including enzyme ratio, peal concept (both enzymes in one pearl or in separate pearls), and pearl size were studied. An enzyme ratio of 2:1 of laminaribiose phosphorylase (LP) to sucrose phosphorylase (SP) when encapsulated separately in bigger size peals resulted in higher concentration of product. Laminaribiose (0.4 g/(L h)) is produced in the optimized system at steady state. The reaction system proved to be operationally stable throughout 10 days of continuous processing. A half-life time of more than 9 days was observed for both biocatalysts.

Continuous synthesis of hexanal by immobilized hydroperoxide lyase in packed-bed reactor

This study aimed to develop an optimal continuous procedure of immobilized hydroperoxide lyase (HPL)-catalyzed synthesis of hexanal. A central composite design was used to study the combined effect of substrate concentration and the residence time of the reactant on hexanal concentration. The optimum conditions for hexanal synthesis included a 13-HPOD concentration of 43.54 mM and a residence time of 60.99 min. The maximum hexanal concentration was 3560 ± 130 mg/L when 16 U of immobilized HPLwas used. Furthermore, the stability of immobilized HPL was significantly improved in the packed-bed reactor, as evidenced by the slowed enzyme inactivation and prolonged operation time. The immobilized HPL remained activity until 40 mL substrate solution flowed past the packed-bed reactor. The catalyst productivity of hexanal in the packed-bed reactor was 5.35 ± 0.34 mg/U, much higher than that in the batch stirred reactor. This study was greatly meaningful for providing a green method to the large-scale production of hexanal.

Synthesis of esters by immobilized-lipase-catalyzed condensation reaction of sugars and fatty acids in water-miscible organic solvent

A lipase-catalyzed condensation reaction in an organic solvent is a promising means of synthesizing esters. Reaction equilibrium constant, which is usually defined on the basis of reactant concentration, is an important parameter for estimating equilibrium yield. It is shown that the constant is markedly, affected by some factors, such as the hydration of a sugar substrate and the interaction of a reactant with a solvent. To reasonably design the reaction system or determine the reaction conditions, attention should be paid to these factors. From the viewpoint of kinetics, substrate selectivity for carboxylic acids also numerically correlates to the electrical and steric properties of these acids. Reactor systems for continuously producing esters through an immobilized-lipase-catalyzed condensation reaction are developed.