Study of lipase-catalyzed hydrolysis of some monoterpene esters

Studies of the hydrolysis of bornyl, citronellyl, geranyl, and terpenyl acetates by commercially available lipases of Candida rugosa, Rhizopus arrhizus, and Mucor miehei are presented. The hydrolysis of these monoterpene esters is investigated at various temperatures and pHs, and the time dependence of the percentage of esters hydrolysed is studied. The catalytic activities of the lipases in hydrolysing the esters are compared and, overall, it is observed that under the experimental conditions used the nonspecific lipase from C. rugosa produces the highest yields of the monoterpene alcohols in comparison to the primary-ester specific lipases such as R. arrhizus and M. miehei. A rate kinetic model has been used to understand the time dependence of the yield of the product acid.