Recombinant production and characterization of a novel esterase from a hypersaline lake, Acıgöl, by metagenomic approach.

The aim of this study was to isolate a novel esterase from a hypersaline lake by sequence-based metagenomics. The metagenomic DNA was isolated from the enriched hypersaline lake sediment. Degenerate primers targeting the conserved regions of lipolytic enzymes of halophilic microorganisms were used for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and a whole gene was identified by genome walking.

Transesterification reaction of the fat originated from solid waste of the leather industry.

The leather industry is an industry which generates a large amount of solid and liquid wastes. Most of the solid wastes originate from the pre-tanning processes while half of it comes from the fleshing step. Raw fleshing wastes which mainly consist of protein and fat have almost no recovery option and the disposal is costly.

Immobilized Candida antarctica lipase-catalyzed alcoholysis of cotton seed oil in a solvent-free medium.

The alcoholysis (transesterification) of the refined cotton seed oil of Turkish origin with primary and secondary alcohols was investigated in the presence of an immobilized enzyme from Candida antarctica, commercially called Novozym 435 in a solvent-free medium. The optimum conditions of the methanolysis were as follows: 30% enzyme based on oil weight; oil/alcohol molar ratio 1:4; temperature: 50 degrees C and reaction time: 7 h. Maximum methyl esters (ME) yield was 91.