Enzymatic alcoholysis reaction of soy phospholipids

Lipase-catalyzed alcoholysis of soy phospholipids was investigated to simultaneously make lysophospholipids and fatty acid esters of individual alcohols. Alcoholysis was carried out by stirring a mixture of soy phospholipids and individual alcohols in equimolar proportions with 10% (by weight of reactants) Mucor miehei lipase at 55°C for 24 h. The products were isolated by column chromatography after removal of the lipase. Lysophospholipids (in 69–78% molar yield) were obtained from soy phospholipids, and the yield of esters of various alcohols also conformed nearly with theoretical yields.