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 6 h 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. Co2+, Ba2+and Pb2+ ions enhanced the synthesis of ethyl ferulate Hg2+, Cd3+and NH4+ ions had mild inhibitory effect. The celite-bound lipase produced 68 mM of ethyl ferulate under optimized reaction conditions.