ABSTRACT

Lipase can catalyze hydrolysis of esters, synthesis of esters, and interesterification reactions that include alcoholysis, acidolysis, and ester exchange. The diverse functions and the enzyme specificity (stereospecificity and regiospecificity) make lipase one of the most important biocatalysts in biotechnological applications. Several recent reviews on the biochemistry, molecular biology, and biotechnological applications have appeared in the literature [1-5]. This chapter describes a few examples of the synthesis of valueadded fatty acid esters by lipase-catalyzed reactions that we have discovered in our laboratories in the past few years. The process has been patented [11].