Larissa Freitas

Immobilization of a Commercial Lipase from Penicillium camembertii (Lipase G) by Different Strategies

The objective of this work was to select the most suitable procedure to immobilize lipase from Penicillium camembertii (Lipase G). Different techniques and supports were evaluated, including physical adsorption on hydrophobic supports octyl-agarose, poly(hydroxybutyrate) and Amberlite resin XAD-4; ionic adsorption on the anionic exchange resin MANAE-agarose and covalent attachment on glyoxyl-agarose, MANAE-agarose cross-linked with glutaraldehyde, MANAE-agarose-glutaraldehyde, and epoxy-silica-polyvinyl alcohol composite. Among the tested protocols, the highest hydrolytic activity (128.2 ± 8.10 IU·g−1 of support) was achieved when the lipase was immobilized on epoxy-SiO2-PVA using hexane as coupling medium. Lipase immobilized by ionic adsorption on MANAE-agarose also gave satisfactory result, attaining 55.6 ± 2.60 IU·g−1 of support. In this procedure, the maximum loading of immobilized enzyme was 9.3 mg·g−1 of gel, and the highest activity (68.8 ± 2.70 IU·g−1 of support) was obtained when 20 mg of protein·g−1 was offered. Immobilization carried out in aqueous medium by physical adsorption on hydrophobic supports and covalent attachment on MANAE-agarose-glutaraldehyde and glyoxyl-agarose was shown to be unfeasible for Lipase G. Thermal stability tests revealed that the immobilized derivative on epoxy-SiO2-PVA composite using hexane as coupling medium had a slight higher thermal stability than the free lipase.

Monoglicerídeos: produção por via enzimática e algumas aplicações

Monoglycerides (MAG) are non-ionic surfactants, widely used in the pharmaceutical, food and cosmetic industries. Although MAGs are manufactured on an industrial scale by chemical glycerolysis of oils and fats, new developments in lipase catalyzed synthesis have been studied as an alternative to the classical method seeking to use clean technology and green chemistry. In this work, different methods such as glycerolysis, selective hydrolysis of fats and oils, and esterification of fatty acids or transesterification of esters with glycerol are presented. The properties and applications of the monoglycerides are also included in this review.

Enzymatic synthesis of glyceride esters in solvent-free system: influence of the molar ratio, lipase source and functional activating agent of the support

This work assessed the influence of important factors that affect the synthesis of glyceride esters in solvent-free systems, such as: glycerol/fatty acid molar ratio, lipase source and activating agent of the support obtained by the sol-gel technique. Commercial lipase preparations were immobilized on polysiloxane-polyvinyl alcohol particles (POS-PVA) previously activated with different agents (glutaraldehyde, sodium metaperiodate and carbonyldiimidazole) and their performance on the esterification reaction was compared with commercial preparations of immobilized lipase (Lipozyme IM20, Novozym 435, Lipozyme RM IM and Lipozyme TL IM). The reaction medium containing excess glycerol favored the glyceride ester synthesis and the Lipozyme IM20 was found to be the most suitable immobilized lipase preparation, attaining molar conversions higher than 94%. The use of CAL B Lipase immobilized on POS-PVA also provided satisfactory performance (conversion of about 80%) and allowed the formation of 36% wt of 2,3-dihydroxypropyl dodecanoate (monolaurin).

Alternativa potencial para aproveitamento do glicerol gerado na produção de biodiesel: síntese enzimática de monolaurina por esterificação

Esterification reactions of glycerol with lauric acid in solvent free system were carried out using lipases from several sources. All lipases were immobilized on polysiloxane-polyvinyl alcohol particles by covalent binding with high activity recovered. Among the tested enzymes, the Candida antarctica lipase allowed to attain the highest molar conversion (76%), giving similar proportions of monolaurin, dilaurin and low amount of trilaurin. To further improve the process, the Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was used and optima temperature and molar ratio glycerol to lauric acid were found to be 45 oC and 5:1, respectively. Under these conditions, 31.35% of monolaurin concentrations were attained and this result was in close agreement with the statistical model prediction.

Month-wise variation and prediction of bulk tank somatic cell count in Brazilian dairy herds and its impact on payment based on milk quality

BackgroundPayment programs based on milk quality (PPBMQ) are used in several countries around the world as an incentive to improve milk quality. One of the principal milk parameters used in such programs is the bulk tank somatic cell count (BTSCC). In this study, using data from an average of 37,000 farms per month in Brazil where milk was analyzed, BTSCC data were divided into different payment classes based on milk quality. Then, descriptive and graphical analyses were performed. The probability of a change to a worse payment class was calculated, future BTSCC values were predicted using time series models, and financial losses due to the failure to reach the maximum bonus for the payment based on milk quality were simulated.ResultsIn Brazil, the mean BTSCC has remained high in recent years, without a tendency to improve. The probability of changing to a worse payment class was strongly affected by both the BTSCC average and BTSCC standard deviation for classes 1 and 2 (1000–200,000 and 201,000–400,000 cells/mL, respectively) and only by the BTSCC average for classes 3 and 4 (401,000–500,000 and 501,000–800,000 cells/mL, respectively). The time series models indicated that at some point in the year, farms would not remain in their current class and would accrue financial losses due to payments based on milk quality.ConclusionThe BTSCC for Brazilian dairy farms has not recently improved. The probability of a class change to a worse class is a metric that can aid in decision-making and stimulate farmers to improve milk quality. A time series model can be used to predict the future value of the BTSCC, making it possible to estimate financial losses and to show, moreover, that financial losses occur in all classes of the PPBMQ because the farmers do not remain in the best payment class in all months.

Do Milk Samples Stored for 12 Days after Collection Exhibit a Change in Composition Related to the Initial Bacterial Load

Total bacterial count (TBC) is a tool used to assess milk quality and is associated with not only the initial sample contamination but also the sample storage time and temperature. Several countries have reported milk samples with a high TBC, and the influence of TBC on milk preservation remains unclear. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the initial bacterial contamination level on the macrocomponents and somatic cell count (SCC) of raw milk samples preserved with bronopol and maintained at two storage temperatures (7 and 25°C) for up to 12 days. Thus, we collected milk samples from 51 dairy farms, which were divided into two groups according to the initial bacterial load: low TBC (<100,000 CFU/ml) and high TBC (≥100,000 CFU/ml). We analyzed the sample composition for protein, fat, total solids, lactose, milk urea nitrogen, and the SCC. We did not observe an effect from TBC and storage time and temperature on the concentration of protein, fat, total solids, and lactose. SCC changes were not observed for samples maintained under refrigeration (7°C); however, samples maintained at room temperature (25°C) exhibited a decrease in the SCC beginning on day 6 of storage. For milk urea nitrogen, values increased when the samples were maintained at room temperature, beginning on the ninth storage day. Samples with the preservative bronopol added and maintained under refrigeration may be analyzed up to 12 days after collection, regardless of the milk microbial load.