Lipase

Lipase is an enzyme that catalyses the breakdown of triglycerides into free fatty acids and glycerol, playing a central role in lipid digestion, absorption, and metabolic regulation. Lipases exist in multiple forms across biological systems, including pancreatic lipase involved in dietary fat digestion, hepatic lipase contributing to lipoprotein metabolism, and lipoprotein lipase regulating fatty acid uptake in tissues. Beyond digestion, lipases participate in signalling pathways and energy balance, making them important in metabolic health and disease.

The pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry applies lipase knowledge across diagnostics, therapeutic development, and industrial biocatalysis. Clinically, serum lipase testing supports diagnosis of pancreatic injury and pancreatitis. Therapeutically, lipase inhibition has been explored in obesity management through reducing dietary fat absorption. In manufacturing and green chemistry, lipases are valuable biocatalysts enabling stereoselective synthesis, esterification, and transesterification reactions under mild conditions, improving sustainability compared to traditional chemical processes. Advances in protein engineering and immobilisation techniques improve lipase stability and performance, expanding applications across pharmaceutical synthesis, food technology, and industrial biotechnology.