Effects of enzymatic hydrolysis on crude palm olein by lipase from Candida rugosa

The effects of enzymatic hydrolysis on crude palm olein (CPOlein) by lipase from Candida rugosa were investigated. Reaction variables, namely water content, reaction temperature and enzyme concentration on hydrolysis of CPOlein were examined. Comparison was also made between CPOlein and hydrolyzed crude palm olein (HCPOlein) for melting point, percentage of free fatty acids (FFA) and viscosity. The optimum conditions for the production of hydrolyzed oil or FFA-rich oil in enzymatic hydrolysis of CPOlein were reaction temperature of 50C, 1% (w/w) lipase from C. rugosa and 50% (w/w) water content. FFA in CPOlein increased to 97.9% after the hydrolysis process, which showed an increase of 61 folds. The differences in viscosity between the CPOlein and HCPOlein at different temperatures were statistically significant (P < 0.05). The slip melting point of CPOlein was 17C. After hydrolysis, the melting point for CPOlein increased by 160%, reaching 44.4C.