“Powdered” lipases as industrial catalysts: Production of Interesterified, structured lipids

Abstract

Diversification of the applications of fats and oils has led to increasing demands on their properties. Interesterification reactions are used to alter the composition of the constituent triacylglycerols (commonly known as triglycerides) to introduce the desired properties and enhance their value. Enzymatic interesterification catalysts have garnered attention owing to their safety, efficiency, and natural origin. However, enzymes are sensitive to temperature, moisture, and pH conditions, posing risks of inactivation. Additionally, enzymatic catalysts have slower reaction rates than chemical catalysts. To suppress the hydrolysis side reaction, lipases with high activity in microaqueous systems should be selected. Industrial reaction systems that use non‐immobilized, powdered lipases overcome these issues owing to their insolubility in fats and oils. Continuous reaction systems, in which fats and oils are passed through a lipase‐packed reaction column, offer a high processing capacity per unit enzyme weight, because the oils interact with high concentrations of lipase. These advances have led to the commercialization of medium‐ and long‐chain triacylglycerols and cocoa butter substitutes. Our technology using powdered lipases offers the solution to the challenges of handling non‐immobilized ones. This innovative approach allows for the efficient isolation and recovery of the enzymes after the reaction, maximizing their performance. Enzymatic catalysis can reduce the energy consumption and CO₂ emissions of interesterification reactions and eliminate the need for chemical catalysts by avoiding water washing and wastewater treatment. These distinctive features make enzymatic interesterification reactions promising for the industrial preparation of higher‐value oils and fats worldwide.