Use of lipase from Pseudomonas cepacia in transesterifcation reactions of ethyl hydrocinnamate with different alcohols has been examined. Among the alcohols tested, viz., n-butanol, iso-amyl alcohol, benzyl alcohol, n-octanol and 1-phenylethanol, only n-butanol yielded the transesterified product. Among the solvents tested, viz., n-heptane, n-hexane, cyclohexane, toluene, diisopropylether and n-butanol, the initial rate of transesterification proceeded in the order cyclohexane > n-heptane > n-hexane > diisopropylether > n-butanol > toluene. Using hexane as the solvent and a substrate to enzyme ratio of 1:5, the substrate to alcohol ratio was varied to maximize the yield. n-Butyl hydrocinnamate was obtained in 92% yield in 48 hr by employing a 1:1 (wt/wt) ratio of ethyl hydrocinnamate to lipase and a 1:5 (vol/vol) ratio of ethyl hydrocinnamate to n-butanol in hexane.
