Regiospecific reactions lipase-catalyzed

Regiospecific Reaction Catalyzed by Immobilized C. antarctica Lipase Irimescu et al. (2001, 2002) recently established a reaction system ... 

Specificity is one of the most striking properties of enzyme molecules. Enzyme specificity can be defined as a comparative difference in rates of catalysis of certain reactions. After an enzyme is identified as a hpase, several specificities within the class are identified or can be expected to occur. The main advantage of lipases, which differentiate enzymatic reactions from chemically-catalyzed reactions, is lipase specificity. Lipases have turned out to be very useful enzymes for catalyzing various types of reactions with a rather wide substrate specificity. The fatty acid specificity of lipases has been exploited to produce structured lipids and to enrich lipids with specific fatty acids to improve the nutritional characteristics of lipids (24). Certain lipases display positional specificity (regiospecificity) toward fatty acyl groups in a TAG molecule as well as fatty acid selectivity. 

Production of MAGs reported so far was reviewed based on the reactions (hydrolysis, esterification, and transesterification) catalyzed by lipases from the viewpoint of industrial production. In addition, application of the reactions to oil processing and regiospecific analysis of TAGs has been introduced. There is increased attention to lipases in the food industries and in the field of synthesis and degradation of unstable oil- and fat-related compounds. We hope this review is useful for those who intend to use lipases for oil and fat processing. 

Enzymatic acylation to yield bioactive compounds with additional properties and/or altered functionahties generally takes place via esterification or transesterification reactions. In simple esterification, the bioactive compound reacts with a fatty acid (or alcohol, based on its structure) to yield an ester and a molecule of water. In contrast, transesterification reactions involve acyl exchange between an ester and alcohol to yield structurally different ester and alcohol species. Both reactions are typically catalyzed by lipase and can, therefore, benefit from milder reaction conditions, substrate and/or regiospecificity (Chebil et al., 2006). 

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