Mapping the Chemical Variability of Vegetable Lecithins

There is an increasing interest in vegetable lecithins because of their broad usage in many food and cosmetic applications. In this research, the chemical variability of commercial lecithins from soy, sunflower and rapeseed were mapped. The acetone insoluble matter, total phospholipid content and their compositions were determined. Significant correlation coefficients were observed between phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidic acid (−0.84), phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylinositol (−0.86), monounsaturated fatty acid and polyunsaturated fatty acid (−0.97). Principal component analysis was used to group the lecithins according to their sources. Rapeseed lecithin was found to be the most different product compared to soy and sunflower lecithin.