Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a glycerin fatty acid ester having an effect of mitigating the symptoms associated with the premenstrual syndromes (hereunder referred to as PMS) and excellent in the immediate effect as well as a drug for mitigating the symptoms associated with the PMS, a food or drink for mitigating the symptoms associated with the PMS, an edible fats and oils-containing composition for mitigating the symptoms associated with the PMS or the like, which comprise the glycerin fatty acid ester.

Abstract: OBJECT

Abstract: A process for producing an optically active alcohol comprising carrying out interesterification between a racemic alcohol and an ester selected from the group consisting of (a) a diester between a lower monohydric alcohol and a saturated dicarboxylic acid having 14 or more carbon atoms, (b) a triglyceride of a saturated fatty acid having 16 or more carbon atoms, and (c) a monoester between a lower monohydric alcohol and a saturated fatty acid having 18 or more carbon atoms in the presence of lipase, preferably heat-resistant lipase, and in the presence or absence of a solvent, preferably in the absence of a solvent, under a substantially water-free condition, separating an optically active alcohol rich in either one of R- and S-forms from the reaction mixture, and adding an optically inactive non-racemic alcohol to the residue of the previous step to carry out interesterification under the same conditions as in the previous reaction to separate the other enantiomer.

Abstract: A process for producing an optically active alcohol having a phenyl group is disclosed, comprising the step of carrying out interesterification between (a) a monoester between a racemic alcohol having a phenyl group and a fatty acid or a diester between a racemic alcohol having a phenyl group and a dibasic acid and (b) an optically inactive non-racemic alcohol having 16 or more carbon atoms in the presence of heat-resistant lipase and in the absence of a solvent under a substantially water-free condition at a temperature of not lower than 81.degree. C. under atmospheric pressure or reduced pressure and the step of separating an optically active alcohol having a phenyl group rich in either one of R- and S-forms from the reaction mixture. Use of heat-resistant lipase makes it possible to use high-melting point materials without using any solvent therefor and to perform interesterification at a high temperature thereby completing the reaction in a reduced time.

Abstract: The transesterification method is conducted with a powdery lipase wherein the powdery lipase is dispersed in ester-containing starting materials in the presence or absence of an inert organic solvent, and the diameter of at least 90% of the dispersed lipase particles is kept in the range of 1 to 100 .mu.m in the course of the trans-esterification reaction. A reactivity higher than that realized by the conventional transesterification method with a powdery lipase is obtained and the lipase can be easily recovered and reused, without causing a loss of the lipase activity, lowering of the conversion due to the residence of the substrate on the immobilizing carrier and side reactions caused by water introduced into the reaction system by the immobilizing carrier.