Solvent-free enzymatic hydrolysis of non-polar lipids in crude sunflower lecithin using phospholipase A1 (Lecitase® Ultra)

In this contribution, a new chromatographic method was applied to study the hydrolysis of non-polar lipids, i.e. triacylglicerols (TAG), diacylglycerols (DAG) and monoacylglycerols (MAG), when crude sunflower lecithin is treated with Lecitase((R)) Ultra, an enzymatic preparation with phospholipase A(1) (PLA(1)) activity. Results not only proved the enzyme lipase activity toward non-polar lipids in selected reaction conditions (aqueous system, T=50 degrees C, pH=5) but also suggested the occurrence of acyl-migration phenomenon observed by other authors in similar systems. Results showed that 1h of reaction was enough to decrease the content of TAG in 54%, while DAG and MAG concentration increased from 0.4 to 3.5 and from 1.9 to 6.5g/100g of crude lecithin, respectively. Along the reaction, different contents of glycerides could be achieved, obtaining products with different composition which, in combination with the presence of phospholipids (PL) and/or lysophospholipids (LPL), could present specific emulsifying/stabilizing properties with a wide range of applications in food and pharmaceutical industry.