Aqueous Enzymatic Oil Extraction: A "Green" Bioprocess to Obtain Oil from Corn Germ and Other Oil-Rich Plant Materials

Several methods have been developed to obtain oil from corn germ and other oil-rich plant materials using aqueous enzymatic methods. Unlike traditional oil extraction methods, these new bioprocesses are performed without the use of presses and organic solvents. Beginning with olive oil in the pre-Biblical era, oil has been obtained from oil-rich plant materials. The large variations in cell wall ultrastructure and chemical composition (varying proportions of cellulose, hemicellulose, and pectin) of oil-rich plant materials have posed a challenge for the development of aqueous enzymatic oil extraction strategies. For most oil-rich plant materials, three types of enzymes (cellulases, proteases or pectinases) have proven to be most effective for the aqueous enzymatic oil extraction. Although the high cost of enzymes is a major hurdle to the commercialization of aqueous enzymatic oil extraction methods, recent advances in enzyme production technology may soon make the processes economically viable.