Reaction variables effect on enzymatic interesterification of soybean oil to produce plastic fats

CONSUELO PACHECO; CAMILA A. PALLA; GUILLERMO H. CRAPISTE; MARÍA ELENA CARRÍN

JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN OIL CHEMISTS SOCIETY (JAOCS)

SPRINGER

Año: 2012

0003-021X

Semisolid fats obtained from oils and fats through enzymatic interesterification (EIE) have interesting applications. The effect of certain reaction parameters (enzyme concentration, immobilized enzyme type, reaction time, substrate ratio, temperature, agitation level, and moisture content) over the enzymatic interesterification of fully hydrogenated soybean oil (FHSO) and refined soybean oil (SO) was studied using a fractional factorial design (FFD). The reaction products were analyzed with respect to melting point (mp), byproducts content and triacylglycerols (TAG) composition. It was found that substrate ratio, reaction time, and their interaction presented the most significant contributions to mp, varying this from 43.1 to 61.5 ºC. The highest contributions to byproducts content were presented by time and enzyme type. Through the obtained and validated models, theoretical conditions to achieve minimal byproducts generation and mp were found, being 5.0% (w/wsubst.) of Lipozyme RM IM, 24 h, 70:30 (oil:fat, % w/w), 65ºC, 230 rpm, and absence of molecular sieves. Regression models for four triacylglycerols groups, classified according to saturation level of their fatty acids, as a function of significant factors and interactions were constructed, offering useful information to establish the reaction conditions for obtaining a product with a target mp or chemical composition.