Effect of Processing Conditions on Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Sunflower Lecithins

CABEZAS, D. M.; MADOERY, R.; DIEHL, B.; TOMÁS, M. C.

Arizona, USA

Congreso; 101st AOCS Annual Meeting & Expo; 2010

American Oil Chemists' Society (AOCS)

Lecithin is a multifunctional ingredient used in a wide range of industrial applications (nutritional, pharmaceutical, cosmetics). Enzymatic hydrolysis can originate lysolecithins which are applied to different food purposes (emulsions, bakery products) due to the interesting functional properties of lysophospholipids (LPL). The aim of this work was to evaluate the enzymatic hydrolysis of sunflower lecithins studying the effect of different operative conditions on the process. Enzymatic hydrolysis of sunflower lecithin was carried out with a PLA2 (LysoMax) (0.4–2.0 ml/100g lecithin, pH 7–9, 50°C, 40–300 min, 0.4 M CaCl2) under continuous agitation. Reaction products were deoiled and dried under vacuum. Phospholipid (PL) composition of samples was determined by 31PNMR and the process followed by total PL (TPL) and LPL/TPL % ratio. The results showed that this modification process allowed to obtain sunflower lysolecithins with LPL content between 2.6–23.8% (starting sunflower lecithin 1%) and a wide range of LPL/TPL% (4.6–57.5%). Lipase concentration and lipase*pH interaction were significant parameters for both TPL (R2 0.928) and LPL/TPL%. Also, time, lipase*time, time*pH presented relevance for LPL/TPL% (R2 0.998). PC was the main PL converted for all conditions.Hydrolyzed sunflower lecithins constitute an interesting alternative as bioemulsifiers to be applied at the food industry.