Thermomyces lanuginosus lipase-catalyzed hydrolysis of the lipid cubic liquid crystalline nanoparticles

- The main object of the present study is to present and discuss in detail an assay for testing technologically relevant lipolytic enzymes that we previously outlined.
- Surface organization, nanostructural features, and external factors as pH affect the progress of the lipolysis together with changes in the lipid liquid crystalline phase structure.
- At pH 8.0 and 8.4 bicontinuous Im3m cubic LCNPs transform into “sponge”-like assemblies and disordered multilamellar onion-like structures upon exposure to lipase. In turn the lipid phase behavior can modulate the lipase activity.
- At pH 6.5 and 7.5 lipolysis induced phase transitions of the inner core of the particles, following the sequence Im3m cubic → reversed hexagonal → reversed micellar Fd3m cubic → reversed micelles.
- pH changes during pH-stat titration can be used to detect changes in pKa, which reflect liquid crystalline phase changes.