Chemical and enzymatic interesterification of a beef tallow and rapeseed oil equal‐weight blend

A mixture of beef tallow and rapeseed oil (1:1, wt/wt) was interesterified using sodium methoxide or immobilized lipases from Rhizomucor miehei (Lipozyme IM) and Candida antarctica (Novozym 435) as catalysts. Chemical interesterifications were carried out at 60 and 90 °C for 0.5 and 1.5 h using 0.4, 0.6 and 1.0 wt‐% CH₃ONa. Enzymatic interesterifications were carried out at 60 °C for 8 h with Lipozyme IM or at 80 °C for 4 h with Novozym 435. The biocatalyst doses were kept constant (8 wt‐%), but the water content was varied from 2 to 10 wt‐%. The starting mixture and the interesterified products were separated by column chromatography into a pure triacylglycerol fraction and a nontriacylglycerol fraction, which contained free fatty acids, mono‐, and diacylglycerols. It was found that the concentration of free fatty acids and partial acylglycerols increased after interesterification. The slip melting points and solid fat contents of the triacylglycerol fractions isolated from interesterified fats were lower compared with the nonesterified blends. The sn‐2 and sn‐1,3 distribution of fatty acids in the TAG fractions before and after interesterification were determined. These distributions were random after chemical interesterification and near random when Novozym 435 was used. When Lipozyme IM was used, the fatty acid composition at the sn‐2 position remained practically unchanged, compared with the starting blend. The interesterified fats and isolated triacylglycerols had reduced oxidative stabilities, as assessed by Rancimat induction times. Addition of 0.02% BHA and BHT to the interesterified fats improved their stabilities.     

Immobilized lipase-catalyzed production of structured lipids with eicosapentaenoic acid at specific positions

Structured lipids (SL) were synthesized by the interesterification reaction between medium-chain triacylglycerols and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) ethyl ester. The products were partially purified, and the fatty acid at thesn-2 position was determined after pancreatic lipase-catalyzed hydrolysis. The effect of additives (water and glycerol) on the rate of reaction was also investigated. Mol% EPA incorporated into the triacylglycerols was increased by adding water when trilaurin and tricaprylin were the substrates and IM 60 was the biocatalyst. With SP 435, EPA incorporation was always less with additional water than without water. The addition of glycerol (0.005 g or 0.01 g) improved interesterification catalyzed by IM 60 to some degree, but an excess amount (0.02 g) inhibited the reaction. The reaction with glycerol showed no significant difference with SP 435. After scale-up and fractionation by column chromatography, we could recover approximately 0.3–0.4 g of product/g of reaction products. After hydrolysis by pancreatic lipase, we can conclude that IM 60 has a high specificity forsn-1,3 positions. With SP 435 lipase, 34.8–39.3 mol% of EPA was found at thesn-2 position of the recovered SL.     

Lipase-catalyzed acidolysis of menhaden oil with pinolenic acid

Lipase-catalyzed acidolysis of menhaden oil with a pinolenic acid (PLA) concentrate, prepared from pine nut oil, was studied in a solvent-free system. The PLA concentrate was prepared by urea complexation of the FA obtained by saponification of pine nut oil. Eight commercial lipases from different sources were screened for their ability to catalyze the acidolysis reaction. Two different types of structured lipids (SL) were synthesized. The first type, which has PLA residues as a primary FA residue at the sn-1,3 positions of the TAG, was synthesized using a 1,3-regiospecific lipase, namely, Lipozyme RM IM from Rhizomucor miehei. The second type of SL, which has PLA residues as a primary FA residue at both the sn-1,3 and sn-2 positions of the TAG, was synthesized using a nonspecific lipase, namely, Novozym 435 from Candida antarctica. The effects of variations in enzyme loading, temperature, and reaction time on PLA incorporation into the oil were monitored by GC analyses. The optimal temperature and enzyme loading for synthesis of the two types of SL were 50°C and 10% of the total weight of substrates for both enzymes. The optimal reaction time for the synthesis with Lipozyme RM IM was 16h, whereas the optimal reaction time for the synthesis mediated by Novozym 435 was 36 h. Pancreatic lipase-catalyzed sn-2 positional analyses were also carried out on the TAG samples.     

Enzymatic Interesterification of Palm Stearin and Coconut Oil by a Dual Lipase System

Enzymatic interesterification of palm stearin with coconut oil was conducted by applying a dual lipase system in comparison with individual lipase-catalyzed reactions. The results indicated that a synergistic effect occurred for many lipase combinations, but largely depending on the lipase species mixed and their ratios. The combination of Lipozyme TL IM and RM IM was found to generate a positive synergistic action at all test mixing ratios. Only equivalent amount mixtures of Lipozyme TL IM with Novozym 435 or Lipozyme RM IM with Novozym 435 produced a significant synergistic effect as well as the enhanced degree of interesterification. The interesterification catalyzed by Lipozyme TL IM mixed with thermally inactivated immobilized lipase preparations indicated that the carrier property may play an important role in affecting the interaction of two mixed lipases and the subsequent reactions. A dual enzyme system, consisting of immobilized lipases and a non-immobilized one (Lipase AK), in most cases apparently endows the free lipase with a considerably enhanced activity. 70% Lipase AK mixed with 30% immobilized lipase (Lipozyme TL IM, RM IM and Novozym 435) can achieve an increase in activity greater than 100% over the theoretical value when the reaction proceeds for 2 h. The co-immobilization action of the carrier of the immobilized lipases towards the free lipase was proposed as being one of the reasons leading to the synergistic effect and this has been experimentally verified by a reaction catalyzed by a Lipase AK-inactivated preparation. No apparently synergistic effect of the combinations of Lipozyme TL IM and RM IM was observed when the dual enzyme systems applied to the continuous reaction performed in a packed bed reactor. In brief, this work demonstrated the possibility of increasing the reaction rate or enhancing the degree of conversion by employing a dual lipase system as a biocatalyst.     

C18 Unsaturated Fatty Acid Selectivity of Lipases During the Acidolysis Reaction Between Tripalmitin and Oleic,Linoleic, and Linolenic Acids

The C18 unsaturated fatty acid (UFA) selectivity of three immobilized lipases, namely, Lipozyme TL IM from Thermomyces lanuginosa, Lipozyme RM IM from Rhizomucor miehei, and Novozym 435 from Candida antarctica, was determined in acidolysis conducted in hexane. Tripalmitin with a mixture of equimolar quantities of C18 UFAs was used as the substrate. Significantly different incorporation rates were observed for C18 UFAs used (p < 0.05). The highest incorporation was obtained for all three C18 UFAs with Novozym 435 followed by Lipozyme RM IM and Lipozyme TL IM catalyzed acidolysis under default conditions (substrate mole ratio 1:1; temperature 50 °C; reaction time 6 h; enzyme dosage 10%). Incorporation of the equimolar quantities of C18 UFAs was in the order C18:3 > C18:2 > C18:1 which also reflects C18 UFAs preferences of the lipases. The effects of operating variables on incorporation or UFA selectivity of lipases were also investigated. Among the experimental parameters including the mole ratio of fatty acid to triolein, temperature, enzyme dosage, and time on incorporation, the effect of the substrate mole ratio on UFA selectivity was greater than those of the others.     

Enzymatic Synthesis of Structured Triacylglycerols Containing CLA Isomers Starting from <Emphasis Type="Italic">sn</Emphasis>-1,3-Diacylglycerols

The synthesis of structured triacylglycerols (TAG) by the enzymatic reaction between sn-1,3-diacylglycerols (sn-1,3-DAG) and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) isomers was studied. Both the substrates of the reaction were produced from vegetable oils, the sn-1,3-DAG from extra virgin olive oil and the CLA isomers from sunflower oil. The enzymatic reactions between these substrates were catalyzed for 96 h by an immobilized lipase from Rhizomucor miehei (Lipozyme IM) and the reactions carried out in solvent were monitored every 24 h by using high-performance liquid chromatography-evaporative light scattering detector (HPLC-ELSD). The enzymatic reactions were carried out in different reaction media (hexane, isooctane and solvent free) and with different CLA/sn-1,3-DAG ratios. Total % acidic composition and structural analysis data were evaluated to verify the presence of CLA isomers in sn-2- position of synthesized TAG. The results showed good levels of CLA incorporation in sn-1,3-DAG, from 19.2% of TAG synthesized in solvent free conditions with a 0.5:1 substrate ratio, to 47.5% of TAG synthesized in isooctane with a 2:1 substrate ratio. It was observed that for all the reaction media, the best sn-2- acylic specificity was obtained with a 0.5:1 substrate ratio.     

Structured lipids: Lipase-catalyzed interesterification of tricaproin and trilinolein

Structured lipids were synthesized by interesterification of trilinolein and tricaproin with sn-1,3-specific (IM 60) and nonspecific (SP 435) lipases. The interesterification reaction was performed by incubating a 1:2 mole ratio of trilinolein and tricaproin in 3 mL hexane at 45°C for the IM 60 lipase from Rhizomucor miehei, and at 55°C for the SP 435 lipase from Candida antarctica. Reaction products were analyzed by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with an evaporative light-scattering detector. The fatty acids at the sn-2 position were identified after pancreatic lipase hydrolysis and analysis with a gas chromatograph. IM 60 lipase produced 53,5 mol% dicaproyllinolein (total carbon number = C33) and 22.2% monocaproyldilinolein (C45). SP 435 lipase produced 41% C33 and 18% C45. When caproic acid was used in place of tricaproin as the acyl donor, the IM 60 lipase produced 62.9% C33. The effects of variation in mole ratio, temperature, added water, solvent polarity, and time course on the interesterification reaction were also investigated. In the absence of organic solvent, IM 60 lipase produced 52.3% C33.     

Production of margarine fats by enzymatic interesterification with silica-granulated Thermomyces lanuginosa lipase in a large-scale study

Interesterification of a blend of palm stearin and coconut oil (75∶25, w/w), catalyzed by an immobilized Thermomyces lanuginosa lipase by silica granulation, Lipozyme TL IM, was studied for production of margarine fats in a 1- or 300-kg pilot-scale batch-stirred tank reactor. Parameters and reusability were investigated. The comparison was carried out between enzymatic and chemical interesterified products. Experimentally, Lipozyme TL IM had similar activity to Lipozyme IM for the interesterification of the blend. Within the range of 55–80°C, temperature had little influence on the degree of interesterification for 6-h reaction, but it had slight impact on the content of free fatty acids (FFA). Drying of Lipozyme TL IM from water content 6 to 3% did not affect its activity, whereas it greatly reduced FFA and diacylglycerol contents in the products. Lipozyme TL IM was stable in the 1-kg scale reactor at least for 11 batches and the 300-kg pilot-scale reactor at least for nine batches. Due to regiospecificity of the lipase (sn-1,3 specific), enzymatically interesterified products had different fatty acid distribution at sn-2 position from the chemically randomized products, implying the potential nutritional benefits of the new technology. Presented at the 91st American Oil Chemists' Society Annual Meeting in San Diego, April 28, 2000.     

Lipase-Catalyzed Synthesis of Medium-Long-Medium Type Structured Lipids Using Tricaprylin and Trilinolenin as Substrate Models

The synthesis of medium-long-medium type structured lipids (SL) by the interesterification of tricaprylin (TC) and trilinolenin (TLN), using selected commercial lipases from Rhizomucor miehei (Lipozyme RM IM) and Candida antarctica (Novozym 435) was investigated. Although the bioconversion yield (BY) for Lipozyme RM IM (24.7 %) was close to that for Novozym 435 (24.0 %), the initial enzyme activity was 6.3 μmol CLnC/g enzyme/min and 1.6 μmol CLnC/g enzyme/min, respectively. Lipozyme RM IM was subsequently selected for further investigation. The structural analyses of SL indicated that the major products were 1,3-dicapryl-2-linolenyl glycerol (CLnC) and 1(3)-capryl-2,3(1)-dilinolenyl glycerol (CLnLn). In order to optimize the BY, selected parameters were investigated. The experimental results showed that using hexane as the reaction medium, at an initial water activity (a _w ) of 0.06, 10 mg solid enzyme/mL, substrate molar ratio of TC to TLN of 6:1 and a reaction time of 9 h, resulted in the highest BY (73.2 %). Using the optimized conditions, the effects of TLN concentration and other selective parameters, including the denaturation of the enzyme, controlling the a _w and the addition of silica gel, on the mass productivity (P _M), enzymatic productivity (P _E) and volumetric productivity (P _V ) of the interesterification reaction, were also investigated.     

Increasing Stearidonic Acid (SDA) in Modified Soybean Oil by Lipase-Mediated Acidolysis

The objective of this work was to synthesize a structured lipid (SL) enriched in stearidonic acid (SDA, C18:4 ω-3), from modified soybean oil (MSO) originally containing ~25% SDA. Low temperature crystallization (LTC) of MSO triacylglycerols (TAG) and free fatty acids (FFA) was performed. The TAG and FFA crystallization products (LTC-TAG and LTC-FFA, respectively) had SDA contents of 48.72 and 60.78%, respectively. Enzymatic acidolysis between MSO and LTC-FFA was studied utilizing Novozym 435 and Lipozyme TL IM as biocatalysts. Substrate molar ratio, incubation time, solvent, and enzyme load were explored. Equilibrium was reached at 96 and 48 h for Novozym 435 and Lipozyme TL IM-catalyzed reactions, respectively. The best conditions from these studies were also applied to the acidolysis of LTC-TAG and LTC-FFA. Utilizing Lipozyme TL IM and solvent free conditions, SLs with SDA contents of 37.61 ± 1.00% (20.86 ± 6.48% at sn-2 position) and 53.46 ± 1.85% SDA (36.37 ± 3.14% at sn-2 position) were obtained from the acidolysis reaction between MSO and LTC-FFA, and LTC-TAG and LTC-FFA, respectively. Compared to the original SDA content of MSO, this process leads to a 52 and 116% increase in SDA content, respectively.     

Lipase-mediated acidolysis of tristearin with CLA in a packed-bed reactor: A kinetic study

Solvent-free acidolysis of tristearin with CLA has been carried out in a packed-bed reactor. An immobilized lipase from Thermomyces lanuginosa (Lipozyme TL IM) was employed as the biocatalyst. Elevated temperatures (75°C) were utilized to eliminate solid substrates. The reaction kinetics were modeled by using a rate equation of the general Michaelis-Menten form. Both the extent of incorporation of CLA and the extent to which FFA were released were investigated. Positional analysis of the purified TAG obtained after a pseudo space time of 0.6 h indicated that CLA was preferentially incorporated at the sn-1,3 positions of the glycerol backbone, although 10% of the sn-2 positions were occupied by CLA residues. At a pseudo space time of 0.6 h, 38% of the initial CLA was incorporated in acylglycerols; the associated extent of hydrolysis was 8.3%.     

Optimized interesterification of virgin olive oil with a fully hydrogenated fat in a batch reactor: Effect of mass transfer limitations

The lipase‐catalyzed interesterification of virgin olive oil and fully hydrogenated palm oil (FHPO) was studied in a batch reactor operating at 75 °C. The reactions between olive oil {rich in OOO (32.36%), OPO (21.7%) and OLO (11.6%) [L = linoleic; O = oleic; P = palmitic acid]} and the fully hydrogenated fat {(36.5% PSP, 28.8% PPP, 23.2% SPS) [S = stearic acid]} produced semi‐solid fats. For an initial weight ratio of olive oil to FHPO of 60 : 40, the reaction product is a complex mixture of triacylglycerol (TAG) species. The TAG profile of the fat product is time dependent. Because of the high viscosity of the liquid reagent phase, it was important to determine if mass transfer effects were significant. Hence, the reaction was optimized with respect to the type and speed of agitation employed, temperature, use of solvent, and the type of biocatalyst. Three immobilized lipases [from Thermomyces lanuginosus (TL IM), Rhizomucor miehei (RM IM) and Candida antarctica B (Novozym 435)] were compared as catalysts for the interesterification reaction. Equilibrium is reached four times faster (in 1–4 h) with a magnetic stirrer to provide agitation than when agitation is not sufficient, i.e. when orbital agitation is employed. Equilibrium was reached faster with Lipozyme TL IM than with the other two lipases. The effects of all the factors investigated on the composition of the products have also been determined. Semi‐solid fats obtained with the non‐specific Novozym 435 contain levels of unsaturated fatty acid residues on sn‐2 sites that are similar to the products obtained with the 1(3)‐regiospecific enzymes Lipozyme TL IM and RM IM. The chemical properties of the product semi‐solid fat were characterized. The fat prepared using optimal reaction conditions contained 17.20% OPO, 13.61% OOO, 11.09% POP, and 10.35% OSP isomers as the primary products. The induction time obtained in the assay of the oxidative stability of the fat product was 21 h at 98 °C. The lipases Lipozyme TL IM and Novozym 435 were very stable with residual activities of 90 and 100%, respectively, after 15 batch reaction cycles.     

Synthesis and Structural Analysis of Structured Triacylglycerols with CLA Isomers in the <Emphasis Type="Italic">sn</Emphasis>-2- Position

The present research deals with the chemical esterification of the sn-2- position of sn-1,3-diacylglycerol (sn-1,3-DAG) with 9cis,11trans (c9,t11) and 10trans,12cis (t10,c12) conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) isomers to obtain structured triacylglycerols (TAG); the sn-1,3-DAG substrates were produced from extra virgin olive oil by means of enzymatic reactions while CLA isomers were obtained using a three-step procedure based on alkaline hydrolysis of sunflower oil, urea purification of linoleic acid (LA) and alkaline isomerization of LA. The results showed good levels of CLA incorporation in structured TAG at the tested temperatures: 37.5% at 4 °C and 39.1% at 14 °C. To evaluate the incorporation of CLA isomers in sn-2- position of sn-1,3-DAG structural analysis of the newly synthesized TAG was carried out using an enzymatic and a chemical method. The results of the structural analysis also showed up the occurrence of acyl migration. The pancreatic lipase method allowed the direct determination of the fatty acid composition of TAG sn-2- position but this enzymatic method showed different results (p < 0.05) in respect to the chemical one; this occurrence could be due to an acylic specificity of the lipase. High incorporation of CLA isomers in sn-2- position of TAG was observed, 77.0% at 4 °C and 81.5% at 14 °C, considering the results of the chemical procedure.     

Enzymatic transesterification of triolein and stearic acid and solid fat content of their products

Two systems were investigated and compared as models for making margarine-type fats. Two immobilized lipases, IM60 from Rhizomucor miehei and SP435 from Candida antarctica, were used to catalyze the transesterification of triolein with stearic acid and stearic acid methyl ester, respectively, in n-hexane. The optimal reaction temperature for both enzymes was 55°C at a mole ratio of triolein to acyl donor of 1:2. Equilibria were reached at 18 h for IM60 and 24 h for SP435. Analysis of the overall yield and incorporation of fatty acid at the sn-2 position indicated that the triacylglycerol products contained 38.4 and 16.2% 18:0 for acidolysis and 34.2 and 11.3% for interesterification reactions, respectively, at the 2-position. With SP435, the softest fat was produced after 18 h of incubation, and the hardest after 30 h. For IM60 system, 18 h of incubation gave the most plastic fat.     

Lipase-catalyzed alcoholysis of crambe oil and camelina oil for the preparation of long-chain esters

Crambe oil and camelina oil were transesterified with oleyl alcohol, the alcohols derived from crambe and camelina oils, n-octanol or isopropanol using Novozym 435 (immobilized lipase B from Candida antarctica), Lipozyme IM (immobilized lipase from Rhizomucor miehei), and papaya (Carica papaya) latex lipase as biocatalysts. The highest conversions to alkyl esters were obtained with Novozym 435 (up to 95%) in most cases, whereas Lipozyme IM and papaya latex lipase gave lower (40 to 50%) conversions. The conversions with long-chain alcohols (oleyl alcohol, crambe alcohols, and camelina alcohols) were higher (40 to 95%) than with medium-chain n-octanol (30 to 85%). Isopropyl esters of crambe oil and camelina oil were obtained with rather low conversions using Novozym 435 (<40%) and Lipozyme IM (about 10%) as biocatalysts, whereas with papaya latex lipase no isopropyl esters were formed. The conversions of crambe oil and camelina oil to oleyl and n-octyl esters using Novozym 435 as biocatalyst were hardly affected by the ratio of the substrates, but with Lipozyme IM the conversions to alkyl esters distinctly increased with an excess of alcohol substrate Presented as part of the doctoral thesis of Georg Steinke to the University of Münster, Münster, Germany     

Effects of selected substrate forms on the synthesis of structured lipids by two immobilized lipases

Two immobilized lipases, IM 60 from Rhizomucor miehei and SP 435 from Candida antarctica, were used to synthesize structured lipids (SL). Tricaprin and trilinolein were interesterified to produce SL that contained one linoleic acid per triacylglycerol molecule (SL1) and SL with two linoleic acids (SL2). SL1 and SL2 were separated by silver nitrate thin-layer chromatography according to their unsaturation, and the fatty acid at the sn-2 position was determined after pancreatic lipasecatalyzed hydrolysis of SL1 and SL2. With IM 60, 57.7 mol% capric acid and 42.3 mol% linoleic acid were found at the sn-2 position of SL1, while 43.3 mol% capric acid and 56.7 mol% linoleic acid were at the sn-2 position of SL2. The fatty acid at the sn-2 position of SL1 with SP 435 as biocatalyst was 43.6 mol% capric acid and 56.4 mol% linoleic acid, while SL2 contained 56.6 mol% capric acid and 43.4 mol% linoleic acid. Different structural forms of the capric acid-containing substrate (triacylglycerol vs. ethyl ester) and different chainlengths of triacylglycerol were selected to study the substrate selectivity of lipases. Results indicated that SP 435 had some degree of preference for the triacylglycerol form (tricaprin), and IM 60 produced SL more rapidly and reached steady state faster with tricaprin as substrate than with capric acid ethyl ester. For chainlength selectivity, mol% of synthesized SL from tricaprin + trilinolein and tristearin + trilinolein were compared. SP 435 exhibited no apparent preference for either tricaprin or tristearin. However, IM 60 showed a more rapid reaction with tricaprin than with tristearin.     

Lipase-catalyzed modification of borage oil: Incorporation of capric and eicosapentaenoic acids to form structured lipids

Two immobilized lipases, nonspecific SP435 from Candida antarctica and sn-1,3 specific IM60 from Rhizomucor miehei, were used as biocatalysts for the restructuring of borage oil (Borago officinalis L.) to incorporate capric acid (10:0, medium-chain fatty acid) and eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3) with the free fatty acids as acyl donors. Transesterification (acidolysis) reactions were carried out in hexane, and the products were analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography. The fatty acid profiles of the modified borage oil were different from that of unmodified borage oil. Higher incorporation of 20:5n-3 (10.2%) and 10:0 (26.3%) was obtained with IM60 lipase, compared to 8.8 and 15.5%, respectively, with SP435 lipase. However, SP435 lipase was able to incorporate both 10:0 and 20:5n-3 fatty acids at the sn-2 position, but the IM60 lipase did not. Solvents with log P values between 3.5 and 4.5 supported the acidolysis reaction better than those with log P values between −0.33 and 3.0.     

Enzymatic Synthesis of Diacylglycerols Enriched with Conjugated Linoleic Acid by a Novel Lipase from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Malassezia globosa</Emphasis>

Diacylglycerols (DAG) of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) were prepared by esterification of glycerol with fatty acids enriched with CLA (FFA–CLA, >95%) in the presence of a novel lipase from Malassezia globosa (SMG1). Lipase SMG1 is strictly specific to mono- and diacylglycerols but not triacylglycerols, which is similar to the properties of lipase from Penicillium camembertii (lipase G 50), but lipase SMG1 showed preference on the production of DAG with the reaction proceeding. Low temperature was beneficial for the conversion of FFA–CLA into acylglycerols, the degree of esterification reached 93.0% when the temperature was 5 °C. The maximum DAG content (53.4%) was achieved at 25 °C. The rate of DAG synthesis increased as the enzyme loading increased. However, at lipase amounts above 240 U/g mixtures, no significant increases in DAG concentration were observed. The molar ratio of FFA–CLA to glycerol and initial water content were optimized to be 1:3 (mol/mol) and 3%. Lipase SMG1 showed no regioselectivity because the contents of 1,3-DAG and 1,2-DAG were 43.1% and 21.2% based on total content of acylglycerols. By calculating the ratio of 9c, 11t-CLA to 10t, 12c-CLA, it was indicated that lipase SMG1 showed a little preference to 10t, 12c-CLA at the sn-1(3) position of monoacylglycerols (MAG), while no selectivity for 9c, 11t-CLA at the sn-2 position of DAG was obviously found.     

Lipase-catalyzed preparation of palmitic and stearic acid-rich phosphatidylcholine

Saturated FA enhance the oxidative stability of phospholipids. In the present study phosphatidylcholine (PC) rich in palmitic and stearic acids was prepared using lipase-catalyzed transesterification from PC isolated from egg and soybean lecithins. Two different lipases, namely, Novozym 435 and Lipozyme TL IM, were used for the transesterification. The reaction conditions were optimized by varying the lipase dosage, molar ratio of PC to FA, and reaction period. Palmitic acid could be incorporated up to 58.6 and 57.1% using Lipozyme TL IM and 56 and 61% using Novozym 435 in egg and soybean PC from an initial content of 37.4 and 16.8%, respectively. Similarly, stearic acid incorporation was up to 44.7 and 46.3% using Lipozyme TL IM and 37.2 and 55.8% using Novozym 435 in egg and soybean PC from an initial content of 8.6 and 2.1%, respectively.     

Study of Some Experimental Parameters in the Synthesis of Triacylglycerols with CLA Isomers and Structural Analysis

The present research deals with the synthesis of structured triacylglycerols (TAG) by enzymatic treatment of sn-1,3-diacylglycerol (sn-1,3-DAG) with conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) isomers using the immobilized lipase from Rhizomucor miehei (Lipozyme^® IM) under different experimental conditions. In particular, the influence of reaction parameters, such as temperature, enzymatic load, reaction time and DAG/CLA ratio has been evaluated using an experimental design software with a screening objective. Two responses have been selected, they are the percentage of CLA isomers in total TAG and in the sn-2- position and a three-level-4-factor fractional factorial experimental design was used to screen the variables. The results showed that the selected experimental variables have an influence on the enzymatic reaction, in particular, the DAG/CLA substrate ratio and the temperature, both of which inversely correlated with CLA incorporation, but also the enzymatic load and the reaction time, both directly correlated with CLA incorporation. The best results for CLA isomer % content both in total TAG (46.3%) and in the sn-2- position (52.2%) were obtained at 40 °C for 96 h, with 20% enzymatic load and a 0.5 reactive ratio.