Synthesis of ethyl ferulate in organic medium using celite-immobilized lipase.

In the present work we have evaluated synthesis of ethyl ferulate by the esterification reaction of ferulic acid and ethanol catalyzed by a commercial lipase (Steapsin) immobilized onto celite-545 in a short period of 6h in DMSO. The immobilized lipase was treated with cross-linking agent glutaraldehyde (1%; v/v). The optimum synthesis of ethyl ferulate was recorded at 45°C, pH 8.5 and 1:1 ratio of ethanol and ferulic acid. Co(2+), Ba(2+)and Pb(2+) ions enhanced the synthesis of ethyl ferulate Hg(2+), Cd(3+)and NH(4+) ions had mild inhibitory effect. The celite-bound lipase produced 68 mM of ethyl ferulate under optimized reaction conditions.