Comparative studies of immobilized lipase- and acid-catalyzed fatty acid methyl ester synthesis for seed lipid analysis

Fatty acids are one of the most important nutrients in food. Acid- or base-catalyzed transesterification methods are commonly used for the analysis of fatty acids. However, several drawbacks were reported for these methods, including the isomerization and degradation of fatty acids. Lipase-catalyzed reactions are usually undertaken at mild conditions, preventing such problems. In this study, commercial resin-bound lipase from Candida antartica was tested for possible application in fatty acid methyl ester analysis. Experimental parameters, including temperature, reaction time, and re-cycling were evaluated. The optimized condition was (5-10 mg lipid, 0.5 mL of MeOH, and 50 mg Novozyme 435 in 2 mL toluene, 80°C for 1 h). In optimized condition, the lipase-catalyzed methods yielded similar results with the chemical method. In overall, lipase-catalyzed transesterification can be a useful alternative to acid-catalyzed methods for fatty acid analysis.