Kinetic investigation into glucose-, fructose-, and sucrose-activated autoxidation of methyl linoleate emulsion

Autoxidation of methyl linoleate emulsions in aqueous phosphate buffer solutions in the presence of glucose, fructose, and sucrose has been studied by the rate of oxygen uptake. Oxidation rates increased with increasing concentration of sugars in the system. At comparable molar ratios of sugar to methyl linoleate the rate of oxidation in the presence of fructose was greater than with glucose which, in turn, was greater than with sucrose. Oxidation rates increased with pH until a maximum rate was reached at pH 8.00. There was less conjugation and more CO₂ with fructose than with glucose at a comparable level of oxygen uptake and pH value. This suggested concurrent oxidation of methyl linoleate and sugars; fructose is the most readily oxidized of those studied. Sugars seemed to be effective only in combination with the resulting methyl linoleate hydroperoxide. The effect of sugars rests in an activation of the decomposition of the linoleate hydroperoxide, and on the acceleration of the autocatalysis. The activation energy values for the autoxidation of methyl linoleate emulsions in the presence of sucrose, glucose, and fructose are 14.9, 10.6, and 10.6 K. Cal./mol. at pH 5.50; 16.0, 10.8, and 10.4 K. Cal./mol. at pH 7.00; and 14.4, 10.2, and 8.8 K. Cal. at pH 8.00, respectively. Addition of ascorbic acid to the system at zero time or after 2 hrs. increased oxygen absorption. It appeared that oxidized methyl linoleate caused co-oxidation of the ascorbic acid. Additions of nordihydroguaiaretic acid, propyl gallate, and hydroquinone to the system were ineffective in stopping oxidation when they were added after oxidation had commenced. They reduced effectively the rate of oxidation when added at zero time. Presented at the 52nd annual meeting, American Oil Chemists' Society, St. Louis, Mo., May 1–3, 1961. American Meat Institute Foundation Journal Paper No. 215.     

Role of the bases and phosphoryl bases of phospholipids in the autoxidation of methyl linoleate emulsions

Methyl linoleate, emulsified in borate buffer with sodium lauryl sulfate, was used to study the pro- or antioxidant effect of 0-phosphocholine, 0-phosphoethanolamine, 0-phosphoserine, as well as the corresponding nonphosphoryl compounds. Oxygen uptake was calculated from rate data obtained at 37 C with an oxygen electrode. The results were similar for the corresponding phosphoryl and nonphosphoryl bases. 0-Phosphocholine and choline had little effect at either pH 7.9 or 10.2. 0-Phosphoethanolamine and ethanolamine significantly increased oxygen uptake at pH 7.9, but significantly decreased uptake at pH 10.2. 0-Phosphoserine and serine decreased oxygen uptake at both pH values. The catalytic activities of the bases investigated may be attributed to their functional groups. The phosphoryl and β-hydroxy groups exhibited no catalytic activity in the autoxidation of methyl linoleate emulsions at either pH 7.9 or 10.2. The α-carboxyl amino group of 0-phosphoserine and serine decelerated autoxidation at both pH values. The amino group H₃N⁺ of the primary amine accelerated autoxidation, but the H₂N: group and the reverse effect. Since the quaternary amino group (CH₃)₃N⁺ did not affect autoxidation at either pH 7.9 or 10.2, we concluded that the presence of the N−H bond may be necessary for the prooxidant activity of an amine, and that the presence of a pair of free electrons on the nitrogen of an amine is necessary for its antioxidant activity. Kinetically, the autoxidation of methyl linoleate emulsion without added base was in agreement with Farmer’s proposed mechanism involving a bimolecular dissociation of hydroperoxides. However, methyl linoleate emulsion at pH 7.9 and 37 C in the presence of ethanolamine or 0-phosphoethanolamine was autoxidized by a mechanism involving a combined mono- and bimolecular dissociation of hydroperoxides. Submitted as partial requirement for a Ph.D. degree in Agricultural Chemistry. Presented in part at the AOCS Meeting, San Francisco, April 1969.     

Soybean lipoxygenase-promoted oxidation of free and esterified linoleic acid in the presence of deoxycholate

Lipoxygenase (EC 1.13.11.12) catalyzes the reaction between oxygen and polyunsaturated fatty acids to give fatty acid hydroperoxides. Recent work showed that soybean lipoxygenase 1 can oxidize diacylglycerols when deoxycholate is present in the reaction medium. Conditions were sought to maximize 1,3-dilinolein oxidation with a commercial soybean lipoxygenase preparation. It was found that dilinolein was oxidized most rapidly in a multicomponent buffer medium that contained 10 mM deoxycholate between pH 8 and 9. When dilinolein oxidation was conducted in the individual components of the multicomponent buffer, the oxidation rate decreased two- to threefold. Addition of 0.2 M NaCl to one of the components, Tricine buffer, caused a twofold increase in the oxidation rate, demonstrating that high ionic strength is a major factor promoting rapid oxidation in the multicomponent buffer. In the deoxycholate multicomponent buffer, the order of reactivity toward oxidation was monolinolein>methyl linoleate≈ linoleic acid>dilinolein. Competition experiments in which mixtures of the substrates were presented simultaneously to lipoxygenase in the presence of deoxycholate showed that linoleic acid was the most reactive substrate. When no surfactant was present or when the surfactant was Tween 20, linoleic acid was the most rapidly oxidized substrate. Overall, the results demonstrate that monolinolein and methyl linoleate are just as reactive, or more so, as linoleic acid to oxidation by lipoxygenase under specified reaction conditions. In competition experiments, linoleic acid oxidation predominates, probably because its free carboxyl functionality allows it to be preferentially bound to the active site of lipoxygenase.     

The kinetics of methyl linoleate emulsion autoxidation in the presence of polyhydroxy compounds

The kinetics of the autoxidation of methyl linoleate emulsions activated by carbohydrates likely to be present in meat, with special reference to the effects of functional groups, number of carbon atoms and configuration have been investigated by the rate of oxygen uptake. On the basis of equimolar concentrations of aldoses in the system, oxidation rate of methyl linoleate increases as the number of carbon atoms in the sugar molecule decreases, reaching a maximum in the presence of glyceraldehyde. Configuration of the aldose has a slight effect on the oxidation rate of methyl linoleate emulsions. At comparable molar ratios of hexose to methyl linoleate, the rate of oxidation was found to be: ketohexose > aldohexose > hexahydroxy alcohol. Replacement of the primary alcohol group in an aldohexose with a methyl group decreases the oxidation rate of methyl linoleate emulsion. An opposite effect is observed when the primary alcohol group is substituted with a carboxyl group, i.e., in the presence of sodium glucuronate. 2-Deoxy-D-glucose and 2-deoxy-D-ribose exhibit a lesser effect on the autoxidation of methyl linoleate emulsion than glucose and ribose, respectively. Oxidation rates in the presence of reducing disaccharides, maltose, lactose and cellobiose, are more rapid than in the presence of the non-reducing disaccharide sucrose. Presented at the AOCS Meeting, Toronto, 1962. American Meat Institute Foundation Journal Paper No. 254.     

The rates of oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids and esters

The rates of autoxidation of oleic acid, ethyl oleate, linoleic acid, 10,12-linoleic acid, ethyl linoleate, trilinolein, pentaerythritol linoleate, dipentaerythritol linoleate, elaidolinolenic acid, linolenic acid, ethyl linolenate, trilinolenin, and methyl arachidonate have been studied by oxygen uptake in a Warburg respirometer and the results are compared with the rates of enzymatic oxidation of lipoxidase substrates. The increase in the number of double bonds in a fatty acid by one increases the rate of oxidation of the fatty acid or its esters by at least a factor or two. Earlier findings that acids oxidize more rapidly than their esters have been confirmed. The initial rates of lipoxidase oxidation of ethyl linoleate, ethyl linolenate, and methyl arachidonate were found to be essentially the same.     

Oxidation of acylglycerols and phosphoglycerides by soybean lipoxygenase

Lipoxygenase (EC 1.13.11.12) catalyzes the incorporation of oxygen into polyunsaturated fatty acids, resulting in the formation of their corresponding hydroperoxides. The ability of a commercial preparation of soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) lipoxygenase to catalyze the oxidation of acylglycerols and phosphoglycerides was investigated. The oxidation rate of trilinolein increased nearly 100% when 5 mM deoxycholate was added to the reaction medium. With further increases in the concentration of deoxycholate, the oxidation rate decreased slightly. The pH profile of trilinolein oxidation was bell-shaped. The rate of oxidation was maximal at pH 8, and it decreased to near zero at pH 5 and pH 11. Even under optimal conditions, the rate of trilinolein oxidation was only 3% of that of linoleic acid, and analysis of time course data showed that, at most, 15% of available linoleate was oxidized. In contrast to the slow rate of trilinolein oxidation, tested phosphoglycerides and diacylglycerols were oxidized at moderate rates. The rate of phosphoglyceride oxidation depended upon the structure of the polar head group and varied between 7–28% of the rate of linoleic acid oxidation. Diacylglycerols reacted at a rate that was 40% of that of linoleic acid. Analysis of the time course of 1,3-dilinolein oxidation showed that as much as 67% of the available linoleate could be converted to the corresponding hydroperoxide. Analyses by high-performance liquid chromatography revealed that more than 20% of the 1,3-dilinolein was converted to unidentified products that are not hydroperoxides.     

Autoxidation of fatty materials in emulsion. II. Factors affecting the histidine-catalyzed autoxidation of emulsified methyl linoleate

Several factors which affect autoxidation of methyl linoleate in emulsion have been examined. Data are presented which indicate: 1) In the presence of histidine, the ionic (anionic) emulsifiers examined promote autoxidation of emulsified methyl linoleate, but nonionic emulsifiers do not. 2) The concentration of an emulsifier affects the rate of oxygen absorption. 3) Inorganic salts (0.1 M or less) such as sodium chloride, sodium acetate and sodium sulfate affect oxygen absorption of emulsified methyl linoleate prepared with either ionic or nonionic emulsifiers. In histidine-catalyzed autoxidation there is a suppressing effect in the case of the ionic and a promotional effect in the case of the nonionic. In uncatalyzed autoxidation, these salts have a promotional effect in ionic emulsions and none in nonionic emulsions. 4) Sodium phosphate buffers completely suppress autoxidation due to histidine catalysis, but do not suppress the normal uncatalyzed autoxidation of emulsified methyl linoleate. 5) The pro-oxidative effects of histidine and histidine-metal ion complexes on emulsified unsaturated materials is not limited to polyolefins but also includes mono-olefinic compounds. Presented at the AOCS meeting in Toronto, October, 1962. E. Utiliz. Res. and Dev. Div., ARS, USDA.     

Kinetics of linoleate oxidation in model systems

Oxidation of methyl linoleate, trilinoleate and linoleic acid has been studied in model systems based on various solid supports. Oxidation was followed by measurement of oxygen absorption, peroxide values and products of oxidation as a function of moisture equilibrium relative humidity. Effects of various metals, histidine and the antioxidants propyl gallate and butylated hydroxytoluene were studied. The results indicate: (a) at 50 C oxidation of protein increases with increasing moisture content and the protein interacts with peroxides changing the overall oxidation rate; (b) increasing moisture content shows the same inhibitory effect on oxidation of trilinoleate as it does on methyl linoleate; (c) the effectiveness of antioxidants is increased with increasing humidity but some chelating agents complexed with metals become catalytic at the higher moisture content; and (d) at moisture contents in the region of capillary condensation, mobility of reactants is enhanced since the rate of oxidation increases significantly. Presented at the AOCS Meeting, New York, October, 1968. Contribution No. 1396, Dept. of Nutrition and Food Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass.     

Studies of the fluorescent products of lipid oxidation in aqueous emulsion with glycine and on the surface of silica gel

The formation of fluorescent products in the reaction of methyl linoleate hydroperoxide with glycine in aqueous emulsions correlated directly with the decrease in diene conjugation and the increase in thiobarbituric acid (TBA) reactive substances. These correlations also were reflected in the course of the oxidation of methyl linoleate in aqueous emulsions with glycine and indicated that glycine reacted with products of peroxide decomposition as opposed to intermediates of autoxidation in hydroperoxide formation. Thin layer chromatography (TLC) and selective solvent extraction demonstrated that the products of the reaction contained many substances with a fluorescent spectrum similar to those of lipofuscin pigments. When methyl esters of polyunsaturated fatty acids or other polyunsaturated lipids underwent oxidation adsorbed on silica gel particles, products with similar fluorescent spectral properties were formed illustrating that fluorescent substances were formed in a variety of reactions associated with the oxidation of unsaturated lipids.     

Oxidation of Methyl Linoleate in Oil-in-Water Micro- and Nanoemulsion Systems

Oxidation of methyl linoleate in O/W emulsions having droplets of median diameters ranging from 17 nm to 8.0 μm was carried out at 40°C. The oxidation process was analyzed on the basis of a kinetic equation of the autocatalytic type. The induction period was found to be shorter and the oxidation rate constant lower for emulsions with smaller oil droplets. The stoichiometry between methyl linoleate and oxygen was observed to be independent of both the size of oil droplet and the type of the surfactant and was found to be unity during the early stage of the oxidation. However, more oxgen was consumed in the oxidation of the methyl linoleate in the later half of the oxidation process.     

Solubility of linoleic acid in aqueous solutions and its reaction with water

In a study of stable emulsions of linoleic acid in 0.1M-KH₂PO₄/Na₂HPO₄ buffer solutions prepared by sonic vibrations, the influence of linoleic acid on pH was manifested in buffer solutions of pH 8.00 and decreased gradually till it became negligible in pH 4.50. This change in pH values was due to differences in solubility of linoleic acid in the buffer solutions. Ultraviolet spectra of soluble linoleic acid in buffer solutions indicated the presence of conjugated dienes, which increased with the increasing of the pH of the system. Unbuffered aqueous emulsions of linoleic acid had a pH value which ranged between 4.69 and 5.10. Saturated aqueous solutions, obtained by high-speed centrifugation, had concentrations of 15.80 to 16.00 mg. linoleic acid per 100 ml. of D.I. water. From the solubility data and conductivity values of linoleic acid the apparent classic and thermodynamic ionization constants were calculated to be 6.974±0.023×10⁻⁶ and 6.905±0.017×10⁻⁶ at 0.7°C. and 1.730±0.009×10⁻⁵ and 1.689±0.007×10⁻⁵ at 25°C., respectively. The result of the chemical interaction of linoleic acid and water is a saturated hydroxy fatty acid. This acid gave a positive test for glycol groups with periodic acid oxidation test and appeared to be a tetrahydroxy compound with the exact structure unknown. Presented at the 51st Annual Meeting, American Oil Chemists' Society at Dallas, Tex., April 4–6, 1960. American Meat Institute Foundation Journal Paper No.204.     

Sulfite-induced lipid peroxidation

Sulfite initiated the peroxidation of linoleic acid and linolenic acid emulsions via a free radical mechanism. Peroxidation of these fatty acids required oxygen and sulfite and occurred with concomitant oxidation of sulfite to sulfate. In reaction mixtures containing linoleic acid, the formation of conjugated diene equaled the formation of hydroperoxide. In reaction mixtures containing linolenic acid emulsions, thiobarbituric acid reactive materials were also formed. Peroxidation was pH-dependent; peroxidation of linoleic acid proceeded between pH 4 and 7, but linolenic acid peroxidation was significant only if pH was below pH 6. The linoleic acid hydroperoxides thus formed were reduced and methylated to methyl hydroxystearate. Analysis of methyl hydroxystearate by gas chromatographymass spectrometry indicated that sulfite-induced peroxidation gave rise to the 9- and 13-hydroperoxy isomers. In addition to the hydroperoxides, sulfite adducts were detected. Hydroquinone, butylated hydroxytoluene and α-tocopherol effectively inhibited both sulfite oxidation and hydroperoxide formation. Conjugated diene formation also was inhibited by 4-thiouridine, suggesting that the reaction is mediated by the sulfite radical. No significant inhibition was observed with the addition of superoxide dismutase, catalase, or the hydroxyl radical scavengers, mannitol ort-butanol. A possible mechanism is presented to account for sulfite-induced peroxidation of linoleic acid.     

Formation of Hydroperoxy-, Keto- and Hydroxy-Dienes in FAME from Oils: Influence of Temperature and Addition of α-Tocopherol

The influence of temperature (40, 60 and 80 °C) and addition of α-tocopherol (0, 500 mg/kg) on the formation and distribution of the main oxidation products of linoleic acid, i.e. hydroperoxy-, keto- and hydroxy-dienes, were studied in samples of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) derived from high-linoleic (HL) and high-oleic (HO) sunflower oils. In the range of temperatures studied, the formation of hydroperoxydienes showed monomolecular and bimolecular rate constants that ranged from 0.01 to 1 mmol^1/2kg^−1/2h⁻¹ and from 0.02 to 0.9 h⁻¹, respectively. The overall activation energies involved were similar for both samples and for the monomolecular and bimolecular periods (63–68 kJ/mol). The relative oxidation of methyl linoleate, which depended on the fatty acid composition of the FAME sample, was unaffected by temperature. At the three temperatures assayed, hydroperoxydienes constituted approximately 90 and 50% of total hydroperoxides in the HL and HO samples, respectively. Formation of keto- and hydroxy-dienes was influenced by temperature in a similar way to hydroperoxydienes and, consequently, changes in the distribution of compounds were not observed. The addition of α-tocopherol not only decreased the overall oxidation rate, but also affected the distribution of compounds. The content of hydroperoxydienes relative to that of total hydroperoxides was not affected by the presence of the antioxidant in the HL sample, whereas a significant increase (75%) was found in the HO sample compared with the control (50%). The addition of α-tocopherol in both samples also resulted in a slight increase of keto- and hydroxy-dienes in relation to hydroperoxydienes.     

Prooxidant Activity of Polar Lipid Oxidation Products in Bulk Oil and Oil-in-Water Emulsion

Lipid oxidation products can arise when oils are subjected to high temperature and exposed to oxygen. Many of these oxidation products have higher polarity than the original triacylglycerols due to the incorporation of oxygen. These polar oxidation products could have a negative impact on oxidative stability by acting as prooxidants. In this study, the influence of polar lipid oxidation products on the oxidative stability of bulk oils and oil-in-water emulsions was investigated. Polar compounds were isolated from used frying oil by silica gel column chromatography. They were added to bulk stripped corn oil (with/without reverse micelles formed by dioleoylphosphatidylcholine, DOPC) and oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion to evaluate their prooxidative activity. Polar compounds increased lipid oxidation in bulk oil with and without DOPC. The presence of DOPC reverse micelles decreased the prooxidant activity of the polar oxidation products. On the other hand, there was no significant effect of the polar compounds on oxidation of O/W emulsions. To gain a better understanding of the polar compounds responsible for the prooxidant effect, linoleic acid and linoleic hydroperoxide were added into bulk oil at the same concentration as those in the polar fraction of the frying oil. However, they did not show the same prooxidative activity compared to oil with the polar fraction.     

Mechanism of lipoxidase reaction. I. Specificity of hydroperoxidation of linoleic acid

Linoleate hydroperoxides from autoxidation of methyl linoleate and from lipoxidase oxidation of linoleic acid are compared. Data indicate an equal amount of methyl 9- and 13-hydroperoxyoctadecadienoate produced by autoxidation of methyl linoleate, and the exclusive formation of 13-hydroperoxyoctadeca-9,11-dienoic acid from the incubation of lipoxidase with linoleic acid. As a result of these findings, a specific mechanism for the reaction of lipoxidase with linoleic acid is postulated. Presented at the AOCS Meeting, Philadelphia, October 1966. This work was conducted under a Postdoctoral Resident Research Associateship established at the Northern Laboratory by ARS, USDA, in association with the National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council. No. Utiliz. Res. Dev. Div., ARS, USDA.     

搅拌式有限氧补偿条件下乳状液中多不饱和脂肪酸氧化模型

The oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids （PUFA） in emulsion with stirring and limited oxygen compensation was studied. A mathematical model of diffusion-oxidation was developed considering the mass transfer resistance of a gas-liquid boundary, the resistance of the boundary layer from the emulsifier membrane, and the autocatalytic-type autoxidation reaction of PUFA. The dynamic mass transfer coefficient of the emulsifier membrane, k0, was introduced. The model was verified by comparing the predictions of the model with the experi- mental data. The results indicated that the model was in good agreement with the oxygen diffusion and linoleic acid oxidation in the emulsion, and showed good applicability in the prediction of the effect of the emulsifier type on the oxidation of PUFA in the emulsion. It indicated that the oxidation of PUFA in emulsions, with stirring and limited oxygen compensation from the atmosphere, was controlled mostly by mass transfer resistance from the emulsifier membrane.     

Droplet composition affects the rate of oxidation of emulsified ethyl linoleate

Our objective was to study the influence of droplet composition on the rate of lipid oxidation in emulsions. A series of oil-in-water emulsions stabilized by a nonionic surfactant (Tween 20) was studied. These emulsions had the same total oil concentration (5 wt%) and initial droplet diameter (0.3 μm), but contained droplets with different ratios of ethyl linoleate (substrate) andn-tetradecane (inert diluent). Lipid oxidation was measured as a function of time by three different methods: gas-chromatographic determination of residual substrate; ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometric determination of conjugated dienes; and measurement of aqueous thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances. All three methods showed similar trends for emulsions of similar composition. The progress of lipid oxidation in the emulsions was dependent on the concentration of ethyl linoleate in the emulsion droplets. At low concentrations (1% oil as substrate), oxidation proceeded at a relatively slow and constant rate. At intermediate concentrations (20%), the oxidation rate was rapid initially and then slowed down with time. At high concentrations (100%), the oxidation rate was slow at first, and then increased with time. An explanation of our results is proposed in terms of the distribution of substrate molecules between the droplet interior and interface, and the ingress of aqueous radicals into the emulsion droplets.     

The role of endogenous amphiphiles on the stability of virgin olive oil-in-water emulsions

Stable virgin olive oil-in-water emulsions were prepared using total endogenous surface-active components derived from oil as emulsifying agents, and the interfacial properties of the emulsion droplets were examined. The amount of oil extracted into the aqueous buffer increased with buffer pH, with the most stable emulsions being formed at pH 7.5. Light microscopy of the emulsions revealed the presence of spherical droplets with diameters ranging from 1.5 to 3 μm. Their surface was negatively charged at pH 7.5, as confirmed by the effect of ions and polycations. Potassium chloride, Ca²⁺, and spermine induced rapid aggregation (as monitored by the turbidity change and by light microscopy), showing their maximal effect at 1 M, 4 mM, and 60 μM, respectively. Papain treatment of the emulsion particles rapidly induced particle aggregation, suggesting the destruction of stabilizing structural olive oil proteins. Unlike papain, treatment with phospholipase C did not result in an appreciable turbidity change. Treatment with soybean lipoxygenase slightly increased the turbidity of the emulsion. The interaction of linoleate-Tween 20 mixed micelles with emulsion droplets produced turbidity, which was maximal at a neutral pH, whereas interaction with proteolyzed and lipoxygenase-treated droplets induced both a significant increase in turbidity and a red shift to a different absorption maximum of the system as compared with those of the untreated emulsion.     

碱法异构化亚油酸甲酯制备共轭亚油酸

该文探索在乙二醇溶剂中以氢氧化钠碱法异构化亚油酸甲酯制备共轭亚油酸的方法,适宜的异构化条件为m(氢氧化钠)∶m(亚油酸甲酯)∶m(乙二醇)=1∶5∶8.4,170℃反应4 h,亚油酸甲酯转化率和共轭亚油酸产率分别为92.4%和89.3%。该法比目前常用的亚油酸原料法的优越之处体现在:以氢氧化钠取代常用碱氢氧化钾,降低成本;以亚油酸甲酯取代亚油酸为原料,避免了原料本身大量消耗碱;反应初期避免原料大量皂化,减小了体系的传质阻力,因而减少了溶剂乙二醇消耗量。     

Cucumber cotyledon lipoxygenase oxygenizes trilinolein at the lipid/water interface

The reactivity of cucumber cotyledon lipoxygenase with trilinolein was examined. The activity of the enzyme against linoleic acid rapidly decreased with increasing pH of the assay solution, and essentially no activity could be detected above pH 8.5. The rapid decrease in activity was not the result of an inactiveness of the enzyme at alkaline pH, because with trilinolein, the enzyme showed a broad pH-activity profile, and substantial activity could be detected even at pH 9.0. Rather, the decrease in activity was due to the dissociation of the linoleic acid emulsion into acid-soap aggregates and/or the monomeric form, depending on the ionization of the terminal carboxylic group. This suggests that cucumber cotyledon lipoxygenase acts only on an insoluble substrate at the lipid/water interface but not on a soluble one. High-performance liquid chromatography analyses of the products formed from trilinolein revealed that the enzyme inserted oxygen into the acyl moiety of trilinolein without hydrolysis of the ester bonds. Preincubation of the enzyme with triolein emulsions effectively abolished its activity against trilinolein added afterward. Furthermore, the enzyme was adsorbed on the trilinolein or triolein emulsion droplets in an essentially irreversible manner. A reaction velocity curve of the enzyme with trilinolein showed saturation kinetics. This is thought to be due to a regional substrate deficiency as the reaction proceeds. These lines of evidence indicate that the enzyme, once bound to the lipid/water interface, is unable to break free and bind to other emulsions.