The incorporation of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids into acylglycerols of borage oil via lipase-catalyzed reactions

The purpose of this work was to add n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) into the acylglycerols of borage oil. The acidolysis reaction between borage oil and n-3 PUFA was carried out with lipase (Lipozyme IM-60) in organic solvent. The effects of temperature, solvent, and water content on the reaction product were investigated. For the acidolysis reaction between acylglycerols (product of the selective hydrolysis of borage oil, catalyzed by immobilized Candida rugosa lipase) and n-3 PUFA, the total content of n-3 and n-6 PUFA in acylglycerols was 72.8% after a reaction time of 18 h. The contents of γ-linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid were 26.5, 19.8, and 18.1%, respectively. By properly controlling the reaction time, acylglycerols with ca. 70–72% PUFA and a ratio of n-3 PUFA to n-6 PUFA from 0–1.09 can be obtained.