Abstract: The catalytic activity of ten lipases from different sources was compared for the esterification of oleic acid and oleic alcohol to produce oleyl oleate, a new kind of additives used in cosmetic. The whole-cell lipase of Rhizopus chinensis CCTCC M201021 showed the highest conversion (above 90%). Various reaction parameters were optimized to obtain high yield of oleyl oleate. The optimum concentration of oleic acid was 0.3 mol/L, the best organic solvent was n-hexane, and the suitable water content of the dried cells was 3.0%～7.5%. When the molar ratio of oleic acid/oleic alcohol was 1.5, the reaction reached the highest conversion at 30 ℃. The pH range of the whole-cell lipase was wide and the optimal pH value was 9.0.

Key words: Rhizopus chinensis, lipase, biocatalysis, oleic acid, oleic alcohol, esterification, oleyl oleate