Current status and new developments of biodiesel production using fungal lipases

In recent years, the production of renewable fuels such as biodiesel has attracted considerable interest as an alternative to fossil fuels. The biodiesel production via enzymatic processes has considerable advantages over conventional alkali-catalyzed processes. Fungal lipases, which include lipases from filamentous fungi and yeasts, are among the most used biocatalysts in enzymatic synthesis of biodiesel. Different strategies have been studied in order to reduce the biocatalyst cost, and to obtain a more robust biocatalyst with high activity and stability. This paper presents the current status and perspectives for biodiesel production using fungal lipases, and discusses the critical aspects that influence lipase activity and stability such as: choice of raw material and alcohols, type of biocatalyst, use of solvents, and water content. Moreover, the development of whole-cells and solid enzymatic preparations (SEP) obtained by solid-state fermentation, as new promising technologies, the exploration of alternatives low-cost oils as potential feedstocks and the evaluation of possible reactor configurations are also presented. Process considerations and an economic efficacy analysis of industrial enzymatic biodiesel production are also presented.