Effect of Mono-, Di-, and Trihydric Alcohols on Lipase-Catalyzed Alcoholysis of Phosphatidylcholine in Hexane

In this study, alcoholysis of phosphatidylcholine (PC) catalyzed by two lipases (Novozym 435 and Lipozyme RM IM) was performed in n-hexane to evaluate the effects of mono-, di-, and trihydric alcohols (ethanol, 1-butanol, 1,2-ethanediol, 1,2-propanediol, and glycerol) on the alcoholysis reactions. In the reactions, as PC was converted into lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), LPC was simultaneously alcoholyzed and converted into glycerophosphorylcholine (GPC). The alcohols affected the alcoholysis of both PC and LPC. When alcoholysis was catalyzed by Novozym 435, the reaction efficiencies of the selected alcohols in the alcoholysis of PC followed the order 1,2-propanediol ≈ ethylene glycol> 1-butanol > ethanol > glycerol, and the reaction efficiencies of these alcohols in the alcoholysis of LPC were 1,2-propanediol > ethylene glycol> 1-butanol ≈ glycerol > ethanol. For alcoholysis catalyzed by Lipozyme RM IM, the reaction efficiencies of alcohols in alcoholysis of PC followed the order ethylene glycol ≈1,2-propanediol > glycerol > ethanol > 1-butanol, and the reaction efficiencies in the alcoholysis of LPC were ethylene glycol > glycerol > 1,2-propanediol > ethanol > 1-butanol. In general, in the lipase-catalyzed alcoholysis of PC, reaction efficiencies with dihydric alcohols are higher than those with mono- and trihydric alcohols.