Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 23, 2026

Experimental Protocol for Biodiesel Production with Isolation of Alkenones as Coproducts from Commercial Isochrysis Algal Biomass
Published on: June 24, 2016
Lipase cocktail for efficient conversion of oils containing phospholipids to biodiesel
Jerome Amoah1, Shih-Hsin Ho2, Shinji Hama3
1Department of Chemical Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kobe University, 1-1 Rokkodai, Nada-ku, Kobe 657-8501, Japan.
Abstract:
The presence of phospholipid has been a challenge in liquid enzymatic biodiesel production. Among six lipases that were screened, lipase AY had the highest hydrolysis activity and a competitive transesterification activity. However, it yielded only 21.1% FAME from oil containing phospholipids. By replacing portions of these lipases with a more robust bioFAME lipase, CalT, the combination of lipase AY-CalT gave the highest FAME yield with the least amounts of free fatty acids and partial glycerides. A higher methanol addition rate reduced FAME yields for lipase DF-CalT and A10D-CalT combinations while that of lipase AY-CalT combination improved. Optimizing the methanol addition rate for lipase AY-CalT resulted in a FAME yield of 88.1% at 2h and more than 95% at 6h. This effective use of lipases could be applied for the rapid and economic conversion of unrefined oils to biodiesel.
Related Concept Videos
Biofuels
Lipid Digestion
Lipid Catabolism
Overview of Fatty Acid Metabolism
Fatty acids are catabolized in a process called beta-oxidation, which takes place in the matrix of the mitochondria and converts their fatty acid chains into two-carbon units of acetyl groups. The acetyl...
Lipid Absorption
These breakdown products bind with bile salts and lecithin to form micelles, which quickly pass between microvilli to come in close contact with the apical...

