Lipase Stabilization via Low-Temperature Clay Treatment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for transesterification reactions using lipases struggle to stabilize enzymatic activity, leading to a decrease in lipase effectiveness, especially when fat and oil are treated with clay at high temperatures for decolorization, which does not activate the enzyme and fails to suppress activity loss.

Innovation Solution

A low-temperature clay treatment step is introduced, where fat and oil are brought into contact with clay at 30 to 80°C to create a reaction substrate, followed by a transesterification reaction in the presence of a lipase-containing composition, thereby stabilizing the lipase activity and improving its performance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Illumination intensity

If high-temperature clay treatment (110°C) is used for decolorization, then decolorization effect is improved, but lipase activity decreases and cannot be activated

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedecolorization effectVSAvoidlipase activity
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the clay treatment process into two distinct temperature stages: a high-temperature stage (110°C) for decolorization and a low-temperature stage (30-80°C) for lipase activation. This segmentation allows each stage to perform its specific function optimally without interfering with the other, resolving the contradiction between decolorization effectiveness and lipase stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies preliminary low-temperature clay treatment (30-80°C) before the main transesterification reaction to activate and stabilize the lipase enzyme. This preliminary action prepares the enzyme for optimal performance in the subsequent reaction, preventing activity loss during the high-temperature decolorization step that would otherwise occur.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Illumination intensity

If conventional clay treatment is used before transesterification, then decolorization is achieved, but enzymatic activity is not suppressed and lipase cannot be stabilized

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovedecolorizationVSAvoidenzymatic activity stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the temperature parameter of the clay treatment to a low-temperature range (30-80°C) specifically for lipase activation and stabilization. This parameter change transforms the clay treatment from a mere decolorization step into an enzyme-stabilizing process, thereby improving the stability of enzymatic activity while maintaining decolorization effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of manufacture

If lipase is used as catalyst for transesterification, then mild conditions and high safety are achieved, but enzymatic activity decreases over time

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemild reaction conditionsVSAvoidenzymatic activity duration
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary low-temperature clay treatment before the transesterification reaction to activate and stabilize the lipase enzyme. This preliminary action extends the effective duration of the enzyme's catalytic activity by preventing premature deactivation, thereby improving the duration of action of the moving object (lipase) while maintaining the mild reaction conditions that make the process safe and efficient.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This method effectively suppresses the decrease in lipase activity, allowing for repeated use of the lipase and enhancing the stability and activation of the enzyme, resulting in improved transesterification outcomes compared to traditional high-temperature decolorization processes.

Implementation Method 1

a low-temperature clay treatment step of bringing a fat and/or oil and a clay into contact with each other at 30 to 80° C.

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAdsorption: Adsorption

Implementation Method 2

the lipase used as the catalyst is highly safe, because the lipase is a natural product. Furthermore, because of the substrate specificity and the positional specificity, the target product can be produced efficiently.

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectEnzyme catalysis: Enzyme

Implementation Method 3

transesterification reactions between alcohols and carboxylic acid esters, between carboxylic acids and carboxylic acid esters, and between multiple carboxylic acid esters

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectTransesterification reaction: Chemical Bonding

Data Source

PatentUS9896703B2Method for producing transesterified fat and/or oil
Publication Date: 2018.02.20 THE NISSHIN OILLIO GRP LTD

AI summary

An object of the present invention is to provide a method in which a fat and/or oil is produced by a transesterification reaction using a lipase. Specifically, the present invention relates to a method for producing a transesterified fat and/or oil, comprising: (1) a low-temperature clay treatment step of bringing a fat and/or oil and a clay into contact with each other at 30 to 80° C. to obtain a reaction substrate; and (2) a step of subjecting the reaction substrate to a transesterification reaction in the presence of a lipase-containing composition.