Enzymes are biocatalysts which accelerate biochemical reactions by reducing the activation energy required. Due to the regio-selectivity and stereo-selectivity, ease of processing, and broad substrate specificity of enzymes, research within this field has attracted significant attention. Enzymatic reactions are generally performed under mild pH and temperature conditions, thereby reducing the production of by-products. Given these advantages, enzymes have been utilized as an alternative to chemical catalysts in various industries, including the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industry. Moreover, use of enzyme technologies for establishing successful biocatalytic processes can contribute to sustainable and environmentally friendly development in industry.

With increasing demand for the application of novel functional ingredients, academia and industry are developing innovative enzyme technologies to produce bioactive compounds. In particular, lipases have been used to prepare compounds with specific structures in order to produce flavorings, oleochemicals and food additives. Lipase-catalyzed reactions such as esterification, transesterification, interesterification are used to produce structured lipids within the food industry which provide specific health benefits due to their nutritional properties. However, there are several limitations of using enzymatic bioconversion for industrial applications. Enzymes are susceptible to variation in temperature and pH, which decreases operational stability and reusability of enzymes. In addition, the high cost of purification and preparation of enzymes also discourages their industrial application. However numerous studies have been performed in attempt to circumvent these issues.

Therefore, this Special Issue aims to attract high quality research discussing recent advances in the application of enzymatic bioprocess for the production of functional ingredients. Researchers focusing on enzyme technology, biotechnology, and chemical engineering for enzyme applications are invited to make contributions. This Special Issue welcomes original research and review articles exploring technical advances and practical utilizations. With the increasing number of approaches to develop novel enzymatic bioprocess, the utilization of enzymes will become essential to industrial advancement and will continue to make significant contributions to industry.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Optimization and kinetics of enzymatic bioprocess
• Discovery and purification of novel biocatalysts
• Development of advanced bioreactor systems
• Approaches for enzyme immobilization
• Characterization of functional ingredients produced via enzymatic bioprocess