Production of the lipase from penicillium expansum PED-03 and its application in the resolution of racemic allethrolone

The resolution of racemic allethrolone (4-hydroxy-3-methyl-2-(2-propenyl)-2-cyclopenten-1-one) catalyzed by lipase instead of chemical methods was investigated. A high-yield lipase producing strain Penicillium expansum PED-03 was obtained by Rhodamine B plate screen. It is suitable for the lipase production with 0.5% starch as carbon source and 4.0% soybean meal as nitrogen source in submerged fermentation. Tween-80 is an effective enhancer for lipase production, and the lipase activity can be increased 55% when 0.05% Tween-80 was added to the medium. Agitation speed plays an important role in the lipase production, and the suitable agitation speed is 500 r·min^-1. The resolution of racemic allethrolone catalyzed by the lipase from P. expansum PED-03 was carried out in a nonaqueous medium, and after reacting for 36 hours, the conversion reaches 96% of its theoretical value and the enantiomeric excess of product (ee_p) reaches 99%. It shows that the enzymatic resolution method proposed presents a good promise of using it for the reslution of racemic allethrolone.