Abstract

MONOCAPRYLIN AND DICAPRYLIN PRODUCTION BY IMMOBILIZED LIPASE USING BATCH AND FED-BATCH OPERATING MODES

Gabriela Caldas Steinstraesser, Luiz Antonio Gioielli and Michele Vitolo*

ABSTRACT

Esterification of glycerol (G) with caprylic acid (CA) catalyzed by immobilized lipases (Lipozyme IM and Palatase® - 1X2-400) was carried out in a 125 mL bench reactor operated at batch and fed-batch mode. Tests were planned following a complete factorial design, with temperature (30oC and 70oC), reaction time (6h and 10h), and initial CA/G ratio (1:1 and 3:1) as variables for batch mode, whereas filling-up time (2h and 5h) and exponential addition constant (0.2h-1 and 0.8h-1) were the variables for fed-batch mode. Monocaprylin and dicaprylin yields were about 69% and 31% for batch and fed-batch, respectively. The highest amount of monocaprylin (49%) and dicaprylin (19%) occurred in batch test at 30oC and 1:1 initial CA/G ratio, conducted for 6h or 10h. Fed-batch mode led to monocaprylin yields between 14% - 24% and dicaprylin yields between 11% - 16%.

Keywords: Immobilized lipase, caprylins, monocaprylin, dicaprylin, caprylic acid.