Use of pure ionic liquids as solvents for the lipase catalyzed synthesis of fatty acid sugar esters

Sugar fatty acid esters are non-ionic surfactants commonly used in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industries. Their enzymatic synthesis can be hindered by the low solubility of sugars in the organic solvents commonly used with lipases. Ionic liquids (ILs) have gained attention as particularly attractive “green” alternatives to organic solvents for carbohydrate biotransformation. Indeed, many ILs are good solvents for polar (e.g. carbohydrates) and less polar compounds. Furthermore, their use as reaction media can enhance the enzymatic reactivity, selectivity and stability. In this context, our study focused on the influence of using ILs as reaction medium for the lipase catalyzed synthesis of mannosyl myristate. The effect of the IL nature on the enzymatic reaction initial yield and rate was examined.