The Nisshin Oil Mills, Ltd.

Chiyoda Corporation

Tadasu Fujita

Sachio Asaoka

Takeshi Minami

Haruto Kobayashi

Yuzo Ikuta

Satoshi Tashiro

Noboru Andoh

Yoshiyuki Hatano

Osamu Yamada

Akira Seto

Kiyohiro Kitagawa

Souichirou Watanabe

Shoko Yamashita

Transesterification involving a fat, or a fat and fatty acid, or a phospholipid is carried out with a lipase or phospholipase immobilized on a polymer carrier. The transesterification is preferably carried out in a system containing a very small amount of water such as 50 to 2,000 ppm. The phospholipase can be phospholipase A.sub.2. In a first embodiment, lipase from a microorganism of the genus Rhizopus, Mucor, Alcaligenes or Candida is immobilized on the surface of a hydrophobic, insoluble organic polymer carrier having pores of an average diameter of 10 nm or larger and having on the surface epoxy groups capable of covalently binding lipase. The immobilized lipase is dried under reduced pressure. In a second embodiment, lipase is immobilized on the surface of a polymer carrier such as a hydrophobic, insoluble organic polymer carrier having a pore diameter of 5 to 1,000 nm and having on the surface a functional group capable of binding lipase and an anion-exchange group. Preferably, the functional group is an epoxy group and the anion-exchange group is a tertiary amino group. The lipase may be obtained from the same microorganism as in the first embodiment or from another lipase-producing microorganism. Iramobilization can be carried out as in the first embodiment. It is preferred to contact a solution of lipase with the polymer carrier in the presence of a fatty acid or derivative thereof for 10 minutes to 10 hours to covalently bond the lipase to the polymer carrier.

Transesterification with lipase immobilized on a polymer containing

An immobilized lipase is prepared for transesterification of oils, fats or phospholipids in a reaction system containing a very small amount of water such as 50 to 2,000 ppm. The lipase may be a phospholipase such as phospholipase A.sub.2. In a first embodiment, lipase from a microorganism of the genus Rhizopus, Mucor, Alcaligenes or Candida is immobilized on the surface of a hydrophobic, insoluble organic polymer carrier having pores of an average diameter of 10 nm or larger. A solution of lipase is contacted with the polymer carrier for 10 minutes to 40 hours to covalently bond the lipase to the carrier. The immobilized lipase is dried under reduced pressure to a water content of 0.5 to 30 wt %. In a second embodiment, lipase is immobilized on the surface of a polymer carrier such as a hydrophobic, insoluble organic polymer carrier having a pore diameter of 5 to 1,000 nm and having a functional group capable of binding lipase in a aqueous solution and an anion-exchange group on the surface. Preferably, the functional group is an epoxy group and the anion-exchange group is a tertiary amino group. The lipase may be obtained from the same microorganism as in the first embodiment or from another lipase-producing microorganism. Immobilization can be carried out as in the first embodiment. It is preferred to contact a solution of lipase with the polymer carrier in the presence of a fatty acid or derivative thereof for 10 minutes to 10 hours to covalently bond the lipase to the polymer carrier.

Immobilization of lipase on a polymer carrier containing epoxy and

A process for producing a glycolipid having a high eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) content is provided, which process comprises fractionating the whole lipids of marine chlorella by means of a combination of solvent-fractionation with column chromatography, which glycolipid has platelet agglutination-inhibiting effect, serum cholesterol-increase-inhibiting effect, etc. of EPA and also having a higher absorption rate in intestinal canal than EPA triglyceride or ethyl ester.

Process for producing a glycolipid having a high eicosapentaenoic acid

Enzymes or microorganisms are immobilized by bringing a first aqueous solution into contact with a second aqueous solution containing metal ions having a valence of 3 or more. The first solution contains enzymes or microorganisms, and at least one immobilizing agent selected from the group consisting of Xanthan gum and derivatives thereof. The immobilizing agent is thereby hardened in a state to enclose the enzymes or microorganisms. Preferably, the metal ions are iron, tin, manganese or titanium ions.

Method of immobilizing biochemically active substance with xanthan gum

An immunopotentiator having an anti-tumor activity such as an effect for inhibiting the growth of tumor cells, an effect for prolonging the death by tumor, etc. is provided, which agent contains as its active ingredient, the lipid fraction or the glycolipid fraction of a marine chlorella such as Chlorella minutissima or Chlorella vulgaris, the lipid fraction being obtained e.g. by extracting a marine chlorella with an organic solvent, and the glycolipid fraction, e.g. by separating it from the lipid fraction with a mixed solvent according to silica gel chromatography.

Immunopotentiating agent having anti-tumor activity

Growing community of inventors

Yokohama, Japan

Tadasu Fujita