Industrial applications of lipases in the synthesis of high added-value chemicals – 85 years of lipase-based enzymatic catalysis. Part 1

Lipases (EC 3.1.1.3; triacylglycerol acylhydrolases) are the most commonly used enzymes in biotransformations of organic compounds. In living organisms lipases catalyze hydrolysis of higher fatty acid esters of glycerol, thus fulfill an essential function in metabolism of lipids (e.g. fats and oils) and lipoproteins. This year marks 125 years since J.R. Green has identified and described the first lipase isolated from germinated castor-oil beans (Ricinus communis L.) in the form of an extract showing hydrolytic properties. Plants, as well as bacteria are able to produce lipases what was reported in 1901 by Dutch scientist ‒ Christiaan Eijkman. Lipases are also produced by fungi, yeasts, and various organs of higher organisms. A strong foundation, which had a huge impact on the development of global lipase-mediated biotransformations was the discovery made in 1935 and described in Biochemistry Journal and Biochemische Zeitschrift by Polish biochemist- -enzymologist Ernest Alexander Sym (1893-1950) that these enzymes retain almost full catalytic activity even in nearly anhydrous organic solvents. This was exactly fifty years before Russian chemist Alexander Klibanov in 1985 described a lipase- -catalyzed reaction carried out in organic solvents. Since that moment, lipases have became extremely popular in both academic and industrial usage, nowadays being the most important among all biocatalysts used in biochemical processes carried out on an industrial scale. The purpose of this article is to provide a brief characterization of the two most widely used in industrial biotransformations lipases ‒ lipase B from Candida antarctica (CAL-B) and lipase from Burkholderia cepacia (BCL) ‒ and familiarize the readers with the issues of biotechnological processes catalyzed by them. The specifics of a range of industrial applications based on lipase catalysis, including the chemical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industries are also discussed. Keywords