Enzymatic hydrolysis of used cooking oil using immobilized lipase

Abstract

The increasing production of used cooking oil (UO) has contributed to serious environmental problems. Management of this oil posed a significant challenge especially on choosing the right disposal method considering the possibilities of water and land resources contamination. Abundant amount of UO from food industry and household draw an attention where this waste could be utilized and recycled to produce valuable products. Currently, UO has been utilized for the production of biodiesel. Enzymatic hydrolysis of UO using lipase is one of the promising approaches to produce free fatty acids and glycerol, both of which are highly utilized especially in the oleochemical industries. In addition, enzymatic hydrolysis offers lots of advantages compared to conventional fat splitting process, notably its lower reaction temperature and high substrate specificity leading to products with high purity and low by-products.