Enzymatic hydrolysis of oils and fats

The hydrolysis of oils and fats by lipases is a feasible alternative to chemical processes. The hydrolysis of babassu fat, palm oil and olive oil by fungal lipase F-AP (Amano Pharmaceutical Co.) was studied. The extent of hydrolysis and the lipolytic activity as a function of hydrolysis time (from 15 to 180 min), mass of lipase powder (from 0.20 to 2.0 mg) and pH (from 4.0 to 7.0) was evaluated. The degrees of hydrolysis obtained were: 9.0-63.8% for babassu fat, 7.9-44.2% for palm oil and 8.8-41.6% for olive oil. The specific lipase activities obtained ranged from 4.1 × 10 3 to 107 × 10 3 U/g. The higher values of enzymatic activities were obtained at low mass of lipase and low time of hydrolysis. At 0.20 mg of lipase powder (30 U), the rates of hydrolysis for the three substrates were similar. On the other hand, at 2.0 mg of lipase powder (300 U), the rate of hydrolysis of babassu fat was accelerated. No appreciable change occurred in the extent of lipolysis as pH ranged between 4.0 and 7.0