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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #74457
Title: LIPASE-CATALYZED RANDOMIZATION OF FATS AND OILS IN FLOWING SUPERCRITICAL CARBON DIOXIDE

Author
item Jackson, Michael
item KING, JERRY
item LIST, GARY
item NEFF, WILLIAM

Submitted to: Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/12/1997
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Alternative methods that are environmentally safe are needed for producing margarines/shortenings, thereby eliminating more complex and dangerous production methods. Vegetable oils can be reacted together to yield a randomized composite oil having specific characteristics contributed from both oils. Thus a vegetable oil, such as palm or coconut oil, which is semi-solid at room temperature, can be reacted with soybean oil, a liquid at room temperature, to yield a composite formulation that finds utility as a potential replacement in tub margarine formulations. This modification is accomplished by a process called interesterification in which both oils are reacted using an enzyme catalyst coupled with dissolution of the oil in a high pressure gas, carbon dioxide, to yield a synthetic method that is environmentally compatible. Properties of the end fat or oil mixture that can be altered this way include the chemical composition of the mixture and certain physical properties, such as the softening or pour point. This alternative method of formulating magarine basestock oils is of interest to food formulators.

Technical Abstract: The randomization of fats and oils was accomplished using an immobilized lipase in flowing supercritical carbon dioxide. Triglycerides were adsorbed onto Celite then solubilized by CO2 and carried over 1-10g immobilized lipase from Candida antarctica. The dropping points and solid fat indices of the resulting randomized oils were compared to oils that were randomized using conventional methods with sodium methoxide. The degree of randomization and rate of triglyceride throughput could be controlled by changes in carbon dioxide pressure and flow rate and quantity of enzyme used. Reversed-phase high performance chromatography was used to quantify changes in triglyceride composition of palm olein and high-stearate soybean oil.