Effect of natural antioxidants on the lipase activity in the course of batch and continuous glycerolysis of babassu oil.

The effects of several natural antioxidants (copaiba oil, buriti oil, cocoa butter, tucuman butter, oregano and white thyme) were assessed in the enzymatic synthesis of monoglycerides (MAG) from the glycerolysis of babassu oil. The reactions were catalyzed by Burkholderia cepacia lipase immobilized on SiO2-PVA and the assays carried out in batch and continuous runs. Results were compared with those attained in the control reactions (without any strategy to avoid oxidation), and the best approach was tested in a continuous packed-bed reactor. The best performance was obtained using N2 in the reaction medium (60 % of MAG) followed by buriti oil (57.6 % of MAG) and cocoa butter (56.6 % of MAG), preventing the oxidation of babassu oil in batch reaction. However, the incorporation of buriti oil in the medium influenced the MAG profile, leading to the largest formation of monoolein, unlike other runs. Similar results were obtained in continuous reactions, using inert atmosphere and cocoa butter (24-25 % of MAG). Thereby, among the tested antioxidant agents, cocoa butter was the most effective in both systems, because it did not interfere in the MAG profile and also reduced the cost of the process.