Abstract
(Z)-3-hexen-1-yl esters are important green top-note components of food flavors and fragrances. Crude acetone powders extracted lipases from five plant seedlings of rapeseed, wheat, barley, linseed and maize were investigated for their use in the synthesis of flavor esters with vinyl acetate by transesterification in organic solvents. Rape seedlings showed the highest degree of (Z)-3-hexen-1-yl acetate synthesis with a yield of 76 % in 72 h. Rape seedling was chosen as promising biocatalyst to evaluate the effects of some of reaction parameters on (Z)-3-hexen-1-yl acetate synthesis using vinyl acetate and (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol at 40 degrees C in n-hexane with 50 g/L enzyme as catalyst. Acetonitrile proved distinctly superior solvent. The percent remaining activity relative to fresh seedlings powders was highest in wheat and barley. Highest ester yield of 80% was obtained with 0.8 M of substrate concentrations within 48 h. Crude rapeseed lipase afforded a conversion 93% of ethyl alcohol. Higher ester yield was achieved within first 24 h with added molecular. The crude rape seedlings lipase is low cost yet effective, showed potential for the production of green note esters industrially.