Authors: Verdasco-Martin, CM; Corchado-Lopo, C; Fernandez-Lafuente, R; Otero, C

Article.
Enzyme Microb. Technol.. vol: 132. page: 0141-0229.
Date: JAN. 2020.
Doi: 10.1016/j.enzmictec.2019.109388.

Abstract:
Conjugated linolenic acid (CLA) has important health effects, and their phospholipids forms (PL) are advantageous vehicles of this bioactive agent. Acidolysis of soybean phosphatidylcholine (PC) with conjugated linolenic acid (CLA) catalyzed by Lecitase (R) Ultra immobilized on Duolite A658 was studied. This reaction is typically limited by hydrolysis, producing 60-90 % of lyso- and glycero-PC and yielding low the process efficiency. Drying the amphiphilic PC material was found the key factor for maximal diacylglycerol phosphatidylcholines (PC) production and different drying approaches were studied to maximize the formation of PC rich in CLA in a solvent free process. PC lyophilization for 24 h getting dry solid appearance (PC; 783 +/- 11 mg water/Kg PC) or other standard protocols to reduce water content/activity of reaction medium, did not improve the reaction performance. However, adding 4 extra days to the second step of lyophilization at high vacuum (1 Pa) and moderate temperature (20 degrees C), followed by further PC dehydration with molecular sieves, drastically reduced the hydrolysis process by achieving a extensive PC dehydration (279 +/- 4 mg water/Kg PC), obtaining for the first time > 99% molar yield of diacyl-PC product. After 24 h of reaction, a diacyl-PC product with 72.3% CIA content was obtained. PC molecules containing two CIA were the major species formed..