Solvent-Free Biodiesel Production Catalyzed by Crude Lipase Powder from Seeds: Effects of Alcohol Polarity, Glycerol, and Thermodynamic Water Activity

The aim of this work was to evaluate the potential of crude lipase powders made from Adansonia grandidieri and Jatropha mahafalensis seeds for the synthesis of fatty acid alkyl esters in a solvent-free system. The influence of the nature of the alcohol, the amount of glycerol, and hydration of the powder was investigated. Results showed that the activity of these crude lipase powders was inversely proportional to the alcohol polarity and the amount of the glycerol in the reaction medium. To ensure optimum activity, A. grandidieri and J. mahafalensis powders must be conditioned to a water activity of 0.33 and 0.66. To obtain a fatty acid ethyl ester yield greater than 95% with A. grandidieri, ethanol should be introduced at an amount corresponding to a triacylglycerol to ethanol molar ratio of 2:1 every 15 h for 96 h and use 25% of preconditioned crude lipase powders (2 additions of 12.5%).