# Enzymatic Degumming of Soybean Oil for Raw Material Preparation in BioFuel Production
## 4 Discussion
It has been established that during the pilot industrial implementation using the cavitation method (Figure 1) and pre-fermented crude soybean oil, it was possible to obtain BioFuel that meets the operational requirements for biofuels according to Ukrainian regulations [34], particularly with an exceptionally low phosphorus content of 3.9 ppm (Table 10). Despite the numerous advantages of using the Purifine(r) 3G enzyme complex-such as its high selectivity, the ability to operate under mild technological conditions, reduced energy consumption, and minimized environmental impact-several critical factors must be considered when evaluating its potential for industrial-scale implementation. These factors require further investigation and techno-economic assessment. One of the key limitations is the cost of the enzymatic preparation, which may be a determining factor for enterprises operating with low profit margins. According to publicly available sources, the average market price of enzyme formulations like Purifine(r) 3G ranges from approximately 625-50/kg, depending on the region of distribution, supply terms, and purchase volumes [35]. Based on the experimentally established optimal dose of 100 ppm, enzyme consumption per ton of crude oil does not exceed 10 g, which corresponds to 60.25-0.50 per ton of processed product. Compared to traditional degumming approaches involving phosphoric acid, caustic soda, and large volumes of hot water, this figure is economically competitive. However, full-scale industrial implementation of the technology may face potential economic risks. In particular, for low value-added production chains, the enzyme cost can significantly affect the final product cost. Therefore, future research should focus on enhancing the efficiency of enzyme utilization, especially through dosage optimization based on feedstock type, reuse of the enzyme suspension, and enzyme immobilization for prolonged activity in reactor systems. Implementation of these strategies may reduce unit costs, improve process reproducibility, and broaden the potential for integrating this technology into industrial lines in the food, biochemical, and fuel industries, making enzymatic degumming not only an effective but also an economically viable solution for wide-scale application. Although the developed enzymatic degumming method using the Purifine(r) 3G complex demonstrated high efficiency in the case of soybean oil, its universal applicability to other types of vegetable oils requires separate evaluation. Soybean oil was selected for initial testing due to its industrial prevalence and well-characterized phospholipid composition. However, each oil type features a unique phospholipid profile and a range of minor components that may influence the enzymatic process. Different oils-such as castor, sunflower, and rapeseed-possess distinct phospholipid compositions and accompanying compounds (e.g., ricinoleic acid, phosphatidylcholine, glucosinolates), which can affect enzyme activity and necessitate adjustment of technological parameters [36]. Thus, although the preliminary results obtained with soybean oil are promising, further research should focus on evaluating the efficiency of enzymatic degumming for other types of vegetable feedstocks. This will allow for the adaptation of the methodology to broader industrial applications, taking into account the specific composition of each oil type.