Computational Assessment of <i>Botrytis cinerea</i> Lipase for Biofuel Production

Abstract

The demand for ecofriendly green catalysts for biofuel synthesis is greatly increasing with the effects of fossil fuel depletion. Fungal lipases are abundantly used as biocatalysts for the synthesis of biofuel. The use of Botrytis cinerea lipase is an excellent approach for the conversion of agroindustrial residues into biofuel. In this study, phylogenetic analyses were carried out and the physicochemical properties of B. cinerea lipase were assessed. Furthermore, the protein structure of B. cinerea lipase was predicted and refined. Putative energy-rich phytolipid compounds were explored as a substrate for the synthesis of biofuel, owing to B. cinerea lipase catalysis. Approximately 161 plant-based fatty acids were docked with B. cinerea lipase in order to evaluate their binding affinities and interactions. Among the docked fatty acids, the top ten triglycerides having the lowest number of binding affinities with B. cinerea lipase were selected, and their interactions were assessed. The top three triglycerides having the greatest number of hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions were selected for simulations of 20 ns. The docking and simulations revealed that docosahexaenoic acid, dicranin, and hexadeca-7,10,13-trienoic acid had stable bonding with the B. cinerea lipase. Therefore, B. cinerea lipase has the potential to be used for the transesterification of fatty acids into biofuels, whereas docosahexaenoic acid, dicranin, and hexadeca-7,10,13-trienoic acid can be used as substrates of B. cinerea lipase for biofuel synthesis.

Keywords

• <i>Botritis</i> <i>cinerea</i> lipase
• plant fatty acids
• biofuels
• molecular docking
• molecular dynamics simulations
• green catalysis