ENZYMATIC TRANSESTERIFICATION OF LIPASES OBTAINED FROM BACTERIAL AND PLANT SOURCES

The use of vegetable oil as a fuel source in diesel engine is as old as the diesel engine itself. However, the demand to develop and utilize plant oils and animal fats as biodiesel fuels has been limited recently. The technical definition of biodiesel is “The mono alkyl ester of long fatty acids derived from renewable lipid feedstock such as vegetable oils or animal fats, for use in compression ignition (diesel) engines” (National Biodiesel Board, 1996). It is one of the many alternative fuel options that can help in oil dependence. Non-edible oils like Jatropha curcas, Ricinus communis, Calophyllum inophyllum etc can be used for the production of biodiesel. With regard to protein/lipase content of the different sources as has been found out, highest protein content was found to be in Callophylum seed followed by J. curcas per gm. of source material. However gross estimate represents the soluble protein of which the activity screening further justifies the use of enzyme extract from Xanthomonas Spp as lipase source for transesterification in a cost effective way. The protocol followed is simple without involvement of much technical complication may be further looked into to standardize a general acceptable method. The bacterial lipase and lipase from Jatropha curcas appear to have highest efficiency in transesterifying Jatropha oil as enzyme used is partially pure. The ester yield is as high 80-85%, can be considered for further research to increase the production keeping the cost of process at lowest minimum. There was no scope to go for kinetic study of enzyme from individual sources along with assessment of quality of ester, therefore it is premature to comment on standardized protocol and experimentally designed to highlight the scale up.