Enzymatic Production of Infant Milk Fat Analogs Containing Palmitic Acid: Optimization of Reactions by Response Surface Methodology

• Published in: Journal of dairy science 2007-05, Vol.90 (5), p.2147-2154
• Main Authors: Maduko, C.O., Akoh, C.C., Park, Y.W.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal productions; Biological and medical sciences; breast milk; chemical structure; coconut oil; enzymatic interesterification; enzymatic treatment; fat replacers; Fat Substitutes - analysis; Fat Substitutes - chemical synthesis; Fat Substitutes - metabolism; fatty acid composition; Fatty Acids - analysis; Food Handling - methods; Food industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; infant feeding; infant foods; Infant Formula - chemistry; infant milk fat; Lipase - metabolism; mathematical models; Milk and cheese industries. Ice creams; milk fat; Milk, Human - chemistry; Models, Chemical; palmitic acid; Palmitic Acid - metabolism; Plant Oils - metabolism; response surface methodology; Rhizomucor miehei; safflower oil; sn-1,3-specific lipase; soybean oil; Temperature; Terrestrial animal productions; Time Factors; triacylglycerol lipase; triacylglycerols; Triglycerides; tripalmitin; Vertebrates
• ISSN: 0022-0302; 1525-3198
• DOI: 10.3168/jds.2006-686

Infant milk fat analogs resembling human milk fat were synthesized by an enzymatic interesterification between tripalmitin, coconut oil, safflower oil, and soybean oil in hexane. A commercially immobilized 1,3-specific lipase, Lipozyme RM IM, obtained from Rhizomucor miehei was used as a biocatalyst. The effects of substrate molar ratio, reaction time, and incubation temperature on the incorporation of palmitic acid at the sn-2 position of the triacylglycerols were investigated. A central composite design with 5 levels and 3 factors consisting of substrate ratio, reaction temperature, and incubation time was used to model and optimize the reaction conditions using response surface methodology. A quadratic model using multiple regressions was then obtained for the incorporation of palmitic acid at the sn-2 positions of glycerols as the response. The coefficient of determination (R2) value for the model was 0.845. The incorporation of palmitic acid appeared to increase with the decrease in substrate molar ratio and increase in reaction temperature, and optimum incubation time occurred at 18h. The optimal conditions generated from the model for the targeted 40% palmitic acid incorporation at the sn-2 position were 3 mol/mol, 14.4h, and 55°C; and 2.8 mol/mol, 19.6h, and 55°C for substrate ratio (moles of total fatty acid/moles of tripalmitin), time, and temperature, respectively. Infant milk fat containing fatty acid composition and sn-2 fatty acid profile similar to human milk fat was successfully produced. The fat analogs produced under optimal conditions had total and sn-2 positional palmitic acid levels comparable to that of human milk fat.