Enzymatic synthesis of structured triacylglycerols rich in 1,3-dioleoyl-2-palmitoylglycerol and 1-oleoyl-2-palmitoyl-3-linoleoylglycerol in a solvent-free system

Structured triacylglycerols (TAGs), rich in 1,3-dioleoyl-2-palmitoylglycerol (OPO) and 1-oleoyl-2-palmitoyl-3-linoleoylglycerol (OPL), were prepared by enzymatic acidolysis of fractionated palm stearin with free fatty acids . The effects of enzyme type, substrate molar ratio, enzyme load, temperature, and reaction time on the yields of OPO and OPL, palmitic acid (PA) content at the sn- 2 position of TAG, and the percentage of PA at the sn- 2 position relative to total PA content were investigated. Under optimal reaction conditions (palm stearin/oleic acid/linoleic acid molar ratio of 1:8:4, lipase NS 40086 loading of 8%, 60 °C, 4 h), the combined yields of OPO and OPL was 69.26%, PA content at the sn- 2 position reached 87.75%, and the relative percentage of PA at the sn- 2 position was up to 71.07%. The synthesized TAGs have potential to be used in infant formulas.