Natural feldspar from Tanah Putih, Gua Musang, Kelantan (Malaysia) was physico-chemically characterized using X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Surface Area and Porosity Analysis (ASAP) and Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) techniques. The feldspar was found to be of the potassium (K) type, with major components containing aluminum (Al), and silicon (Si). The feldspar also possesses 38.307 nm mean pore diameter and 18.717 m2/g surface area. Candida rugosa (CRL) was then immobilized onto natural feldspar by physical adsorption method. About 49.96% of protein content was immobilized onto the support. The catalytic activity of the immobilized lipase was determined by the esterification reaction using oleic acid and oleyl alcohol. The effects of various reaction temperatures, stability in organic solvent, and lipase recyclability on the esterification reaction for the native and immobilized lipase were investigated. Feldspar-immobilized lipase exhibited higher activity than that of the native lipase. Immobilized lipase retained its activity ca. 50% even after incubation at high temperature (70°C) with the optimum reaction temperature of 40°C, long incubation in hexane up to 10 days and after ten repeated cycles used. Feldspar-immobilized lipase also showed considerably efficient reusability where it was not easily leached even after being washed with large amount of hexane (20 mL). These results showed that physical adsorption method is suitable for the immobilization of lipase onto feldspar.

The utilization of natural mica as a biocatalyst support in kinetic investigations is first described in this study. The formation of lactose caprate from lactose sugar and capric acid, using free lipase (free-CRL) and lipase immobilized on nanoporous mica (NER-CRL) as a biocatalyst, was evaluated through a kinetic study. The apparent kinetic parameters, Km and Vmax, were determined by means of the Michaelis-Menten kinetic model. The Ping-Pong Bi-Bi mechanism with single substrate inhibition was adopted as it best explains the experimental findings. The kinetic results show lower Km values with NER-CRL than with free-CRL, indicating the higher affinity of NER-CRL towards both substrates at the maximum reaction velocity (Vmax,app > Vmax). The kinetic parameters deduced from this model were used to simulate reaction rate data which were in close agreement with the experimental values.

The kinetics of wax ester synthesis from oleic acid and oleyl alcohol using immobilized lipase from Candida antartica as catalyst was studied with different types of impeller (Rushton turbine and AL-hydrofoil) to create different mixing conditions in 2l stirred tank reactor. The effects of catalyst concentration, reaction temperature, and impeller tip speed on the synthesis were also evaluated. Rushton turbine impeller exhibited highest conversion rate at lower impeller tip speed as compared to AL-hydrofoil impeller. A second-order reversible kinetic model from single progress curve for the prediction of fractional conversion at given reaction time was proposed and the corresponding kinetic parameter values were calculated by non-linear regression method. The results from the simulation using the proposed model showed satisfactory agreement with the experimental data. Activation energy shows a value of 21.77 Kcal/mol. The thermodynamic parameters of the process, enthalpy and entropy, were 21.15 Kcal/mol and 52.07 cal/mol.K, respectively. � 2010 by Japan Oil Chemists' Society.

Background: Although the development of antibiotic and antioxidant manufacturing, the problem of bacterial resistance and food and/or cosmetics oxidation still needs more efforts to design new derivatives which can help to minimize these troubles. Benzimidazo[1,2-c]quinazolines are nitrogen-rich heterocyclic compounds that possess many pharmaceutical properties such as antimicrobial, anticonvulsant, immunoenhancer, and anticancer. Results: A comparative study between two methods, (microwave-assisted and conventional heating approaches), was performed to synthesise a new quinazoline derivative from 2-(2-aminophenyl)-1H-benzimidazole and octanal to produce 6-heptyl-5,6-dihydrobenzo[4,5]imidazo[1,2-c]quinazoline (OCT). The compound was characterised using FTIR, 1H and 13C NMR, DIMS, as well as X-ray crystallography. The most significant peak in the 13C NMR spectrum is C-7 at 65.5 ppm which confirms the cyclisation process. Crystal structure analysis revealed that the molecule grows in the monoclinic crystal system P21/n space group and stabilised by an intermolecular hydrogen bond between the N1-H1A.N3 atoms. The crystal packing analysis showed that the molecule adopts zig-zag one dimensional chains. Fluorescence study of OCT revealed that it produces blue light when expose to UV-light and its' quantum yield equal to 26%. Antioxidant activity, which included DPPH. and ABTS.+ assays was also performed and statistical analysis was achieved via a paired T-test using Minitab 16 software with P < 0.05. Also, the antimicrobial assay against two Gram-positive, two Gram-negative, and one fungus was screened for these derivatives. Conclusions: Using microwave to synthesise OCT have drastically reduced reaction time, and increased yield. OCT show good antioxidant activity in one of the tests and moderate antimicrobial activity.

Mica was modified either by acid treatment, grafting with aminopropyl-, octyl-, vinyl-, mercapto- and glycidoxy-triethoxysilanes, and activation of pre-treated support with glutaraldehyde (Glu). The derivatives were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR), surface area and porosity analysis, scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. The modified micas were used for immobilization of lipase from Candida rugosa (CRL). Activity of the lipase was determined by esterification and exhibited the improved activity than the free enzyme following the order; Amino-CRL > Glu-Amino-CRL > Octyl-CRL > Vinyl-CRL > Glycidoxy-CRL > Mercapto-CRL > Mica-CRL. Lipase immobilized mica showed enhanced protein loading (up to 8.22 mg protein/g support) and immobilization (up to 78%) compared to the free lipase and unmodified mica. � 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.