FAIR-CT96-3162 Novel fatty acids sugar esters for food and cosmetics

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Biological Conversion : FAIR Area 1.2 - Green Chemicals and Polymers Chain : Pharmaceuticals/Cosmetics : Sugar

	Contract No:	FAIR-CT96-3162
	Date Prepared:	April 2000
	Source:	Second Annual Progress Report Abstract

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Second Annual Progress Report Abstract

Introduction

In an EC-funded research project in the AIR-program, INPL developed, at the laboratory scale, the basis of an enzymatic process for the synthesis of novel fatty acids sugar esters using an immobilised lipase. These surfactant molecules made of a hydrophilic sugar head group and a lipophilic fatty acid residue constitute a novel family of non-ionic surfactants that can be used as detergents, emulsifiers in food products and as active ingredients in personal care products.

Objectives

This demonstration project focuses on verifying the technical and economic feasibility of the enzymatic production process of the sugar esters and evaluating their industrial properties. In a first step the technical viability of the process is to be tested on sugar esters with different combinations of sugars and fatty acids. Subsequently, the physical, chemical and functional properties of the sugar esters are to be evaluated in three selected application areas: cosmetics, bakery and ice cream. A major objective is to prove the superior performance of these novel sugaresters compared to chemically synthesised surfactants, either as stand alone products or in combination. The production costs will also be determined to further assess their market potential.

Activities

The project associates five partners: the inventor of the technology, the manufacturer of the pilot-scale production of the surfactants and three industrial partners as potential producers and users of the sugar esters. The work program involves the following tasks:

• The production of kilogram quantities of sugar esters made of different sugars (glucose, fructose and trehalose), fatty acids of chain length from C₈ to C₁₈ and vegetable oils, to cover a wide range of HLB values (hydrophilic-lipophilic balance).
• The determination of physico-chemical, biodegradability as well as ecotoxicological properties of the sugar esters
• The cost analysis of the new products as a function of composition and purity.
• The evaluation of the industrial properties of the sugar esters. A first screening of functional activities is to be performed on all the produced sugar esters. For those selected as the most interesting, more thorough investigations are scheduled.
• The dissemination of product/process information to potential industrial users, regulatory authorities and other groups

Progress

During the second reporting year, the following progress was achieved by the different partners:

The production of samples of fructose and glucose esters The fatty acid sugar ester synthesis was successfully realised for two sugars -fructose and glucose- and fatty acids of different chain lengths, using the same immobilised lipase biocatalyst and non-aqueous reaction medium. Reproducible, high bioconversion productivities and fatty acid conversion yields were obtained by a strict control of the water content in the reaction mixture during the course of the reaction. This was achieved in the pilot scale bioreactor by the addition of molecular sieves in the reaction medium

The evaluation of the physico-chemical and functional properties for the novel fructose esters On crude fructose esters preparations, many physico-chemical and industrial properties were found detrimentally affected by the residual levels of solvent, sugar and fatty acid. When submitted to additional purification steps, fructose esters preparations can exhibit superior properties compared to the chemically synthesised sucrose esters and other surfactants or emulsifiers. In dermato-cosmetic, fructose esters can have positive organoleptic, toxicological, properties on skin and hair. In bakery and confectionery, the tested purified fructose esters showed positive effects on bread and cakes. In ice cream formulations, purified fructose esters show comparable if not superior sensorial and technical properties compared to traditionally used glycerides.

The investigation of additional sugar esters purification techniques To meet the novel requirements of higher product purities, several technological options were tested, aimed at reducing the residual levels of solvent, sugar and fatty acids, while recovering a maximal amount of sugar esters. Preliminary data have been obtained for liquid-liquid extraction, molecular distillation and supercritical fluid extraction. The technologies can achieve high esters purities, but the yields obtained and recovery must still be improved.

Achievements

At the end of the second reporting year most of the project milestones can be considered to be met:

• The technical validation of the novel bioconversion process at a small pilot scale with the successful scale-up of the fructose and glucose esters production starting from industrial raw materials
• Competitive physico-chemical and functional properties of several of the fructose esters preparations as emulsifiers for cosmetics, bakery, and ice cream
• A potential economic feasibility as a result of sufficiently high process performances in terms of productivities, substrates conversion yields and bio-catalyst stability

Future activities

During the third year, the following tasks are to be performed:

• The production of additional samples of glucose esters evaluated as most interesting by the application partners and the production of four different trehalose esters.
• The development of a competitive sugar esters purification process. The optimisation of different techniques for sugar esters purified (liquid-liquid extraction, molecular distillation, supercritical fluid extraction) will be pursued. Preparative chromatography will also be investigated for the separation of the sugar monoester and diester.
• The determination of the physico-chemical properties of the glucose and trehalose. For the most interesting sugar esters, biodegradability and ecotoxicology analysis will also be performed.
• The completion of the screening of the functional properties of the trehalose and glucose esters in cosmetics, bakery and ice cream. In a final phase, more advanced tests are to be performed on the sugar esters selected as the most promising.
• The completion of the cost analysis for enzymatic sugar esters with a sensitivity analysis with respect to the product purity and the scale of operation.