Lipase-assisted synthesis of potential bio-based surfactants starting from lignocellulosic carbohydrates

Surfactants constitute an important class of compounds with a lot of applications, especially in
the food and beverage industries (emulsion forming and stabilization, antiadhesive and
antimicrobial activities)1. With the prospect of synthesising new active compounds, white
biotechnology offers efficient tools. Indeed, the use of enzymes as biocatalysts provides an
interesting synthetic route in comparison to the chemical way that often requires high reaction
temperatures and suffers from a lack of specificity, resulting in complex mixtures. Among all the
biocatalysts available, lipases represent a class of industrial interest 2,3. In parallel, the starting
material is also an important parameter : due to the depletion of petroleum reserves, its ever
increasing price and various environmental aspects, the use of renewable or biomass resources is
inevitable.
Within the frame of a biorefinery project, we focused on the lipase-assisted modification of
uronic acids. These carbohydrates can be obtained from lignocellulosic material, and, in the
presence of fatty alcohols, the Candida antarctica lipase B catalyses the synthesis of amphiphilic
compounds. Owing to the initial conditions used and the addition of co-solvents, we optimized
the synthesis of these bio-based potential surfactants, and obtained a panel of various structures
depending to the acyl acceptor used. The poster will present the details of these syntheses.