[Immobilized lipase catalyzed synthesis of vitamin A plamitate]

The synthesis of vitamin A plamitate in organic solvent with vitamin A acetate and ethyl palmitate with immobilized lipase from Candida sp. was studied. The influences of solvent, the molar ratio of substrates, the reaction temperature and time, and the water concentration were optimized and the best result was obtained by transesterification from 0.100 g vitamin A acetate and 0.433 g ethyl palmitic, at 30 degrees C, in 10 mL petroleum ether, containing 0.2% of water (V/V), with 1.1 g lipase. In these conditions, the yield of vitamin A palmitate reached 83% in 12 h. The immobilized lipase was reused about 5 batches.