Isolation of long-chain aliphatic alcohols from beeswax using lipase-catalyzed methanolysis in supercritical carbon dioxide

Aliphatic alcohols of chain lengths of 24–34 carbons have been found to be beneficial in treating hypercholesterolemia. Approximately 40% of beeswax is long-chain esters which can be transesterified in supercritical carbon dioxide to give these alcohols and fatty acid methyl esters. The methanolysis reaction was catalyzed by an immobilized lipase from Candida antarctica in flowing supercritical carbon dioxide and the alcohols were then isolated from the fatty acid methyl esters by precipitation from heptane. The alcohols were found in the following percentages: tetracosanol, 9.1; hexacosanol, 14.0; octacosanol, 18.4; triacontanol, 37.2; dotriacontanol, 21.1; tetratriacontanol, 0.3. The utility of the method was demonstrated by isolating fatty alcohols from jojoba oil and a mixture of triglycerides and waxes isolated from corn bran.