Efficient enzymatic synthesis of vitamin E succinate using an organic solvent-stable immobilized lipase

Abstract

Vitamin E succinate has gained substantial attention as a potential therapeutic agent for cancer treatment due to its biomedical activities. One of the prominent methods of synthesizing vitamin E succinate is through enzymatic processes, which, although advantageous, presents inherent challenges related to optimization, scalability, and particularly, the poor stability of lipases in organic solvents. Our study addresses these challenges by conducting a comprehensive comparative analysis between Lipase UM1 and three other immobilized commercial lipases, demonstrating Lipase UM1's enhanced resistance to organic solvents and its superior efficiency in vitamin E succinate production. Further optimization experiments with Lipase UM1 led to an unprecedented conversion of 99%. Additionally, we scaled the reaction to a proof-of-concept industrial level. The synthesized product was verified using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance analysis, ensuring its quality and consistency. This study validates Lipase UM1 as an efficient catalyst for vitamin E succinate synthesis, offering a promising avenue for industrial production with potential applications in cancer therapy and beyond.