SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF SORBITOL BASED BIOSURFACTANTS FROM RENEWABLE SOURCES BY USING CANDIDA ANTARCTICA LIPASE-B ENZYME

The sorbitol molecule contains six hydroxyl groups able to be esterified with carboxylic acids. Sorbitol esters were prepared by lipase catalyzed controlled esterification reaction between sorbitol and fatty acids. In this study, enzymatic reaction was performed in organic solvent mixtures of pure DMSO and Tert. Butanol in 80:20 ratio in percentage(v/v).The enzymatic synthesis was carried out by the reaction of sorbitol and various fatty acids like oleic, lauric, palmitic at temperature 45- 50 0 C in orbital shaker incubator at 200rpm for 48h. This synthesis strategy gave complete conversion of SMO(92%),SMP(82%),SML(85%).In this research, we report advances made in using renewable substrates for biosurfactant production and their characterization by TLC, 1 H NMR, 13 C NMR, HPLC,FTIR etc.