Enzymatic modification of trilinolein: Incorporation of n‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids

• Published in: Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society
• Main Authors: Akoh, Casimir C., Jennings, Brenda H., Lillard, Dorris A.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 1995
• Subjects: Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/bf02546205; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1007%2FBF02546205; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1007/BF02546205

Abstract Two immobilized lipases, IM60 from Mucor miehei and SP435 from Candida antarctica , were used as biocatalysts for the modification of trilinolein with n‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), by using their ethyl esters as acyl donors (EEPA and EDHA, respectively). Transesterification (ester‐ester interchange) reactions were carried out in organic solvent. The products were analyzed according to their equivalent carbon number and polarity by reverse‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography, and the fatty acid profiles were determined by gas‐liquid chromatography. Modified triacylglycerol products contained 1 or 2 molecules of n‐3 PUFA. With EEPA as the acyl donor, the total EPA product yields with IM60 and SP435 as biocatalysts were 79.6 and 81.4%, respectively. However, with EDHA as the acyl donor and IM60 and SP435 as biocatalysts, the total DHA product yields were 70.5 and 79.7%, respectively. Effects of reaction parameters, such as type of solvent, enzyme load, time course, and molar ratio of substrates on the n‐3 PUFA incorporation, were followed with SP435 as the biocatalyst. High yields were obtained, even in the absence of organic solvent. These lipids do hold promise for specialty nutrition and other therapeutic uses.