Process for the production of diacylglycerol

Abstract

The present invention provides a process for producing a diacylglycerol, which comprises, reacting triacylglycerol with water and an enzyme to obtain a mixture comprising of diacylglycerol, monoacylglycerol and free fatty acid; removing water content in the mixture by way of dehydration; and separating monoacylglycerol, free fatty acid and residual triacylglycerol by at least one separation method to obtain a high-purity diacylglycerol. An oil or fat composition comprising of diacylglycerol obtained from the said process and phytosteryl esters and/or ferulic acid esters in an amount of from 0.5% to 25% by weight of diacylglycerol is also provided.

1 . A process for the production of diacylglycerol comprising the steps of: 
 (i) reacting triacylglycerol with water and an enzyme at a temperature ranging from 20° C. to 90° C. to obtain a mixture of diacylglycerol, monoacylglycerol and free fatty acid;    (ii) removing water content in the mixture of step (i) by way of dehydration; and    (iii) separating said monoacylglycerol, free fatty acid and residual triacylglycerol by at least one separation method to obtain a high-purity diacylglycerol;    wherein the amount of water in the reaction mixture of step (i) is from 20 to 180 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the triacylglycerol and step (i) is conducted until between 5% and 50% of free fatty acids is obtained, thus producing diacylglycerol of up to 96% purity at a high yield in a short period of time.    
     
     
         2 . A process according to  claim 1 , wherein said enzyme in step (i) is a lipase.  
     
     
         3 . A process according to  claim 2 , wherein said lipase is an immobilised lipase.  
     
     
         4 . A process according to  claim 3 , wherein said immobilised lipase enzyme preparation comprises an immobilised non-position and/or 1,3-position selective lipase which is selected from the group consisting of lipases derived from microorganisms of the genera  Rhizopus, Aspergillus, Mucor, Candida  and  Pseudomonas,  lipases derived from  Rhizopus delemar, Rhizopus japonicus, Rhizopus niveus, Aspergillus niger, Mucor javanicus, Mucor miehei, Candida rugosa, Candida antarctica, Pseudomonas cepacia Rhizopus delemar, Rhizopus japonicus, Rhizopus niveus, Aspergillus niger, Mucor javanicus, Mucor miehei, Candida rugosa, Candida antarctica, Pseudomonas cepacia.    
     
     
         5 . A process according to  claim 1 , wherein said triacylglycerol used in step (i) is selected from the group consisting of vegetable and animal fats, or oils, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         6 . A process according to  claim 5 , wherein said fat or oil is selected from the group consisting of canola oil, coconut oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, peanut oil, rapeseed oil, safflower oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, olive oil, rice bran oil, corn bran oil, borage oil, evening primrose oil, flaxseed oil, grape seed oil, linseed oil, argania oil alfalfa oil, almond seed oil, apricot kernel oil, avocado oil, babassu oil, baobab oil, blackcurrant seed oil, brazil nut oil, cocoa seed oil, camellia oil, carrot oil, cashew nut oil, hazelnut oil, hemp seed oil, kiwi seed oil, macadamia nut oil, mango seed oil, melon seed oil, niger seed oil, peach kernel oil, perilla oil, pistachio oil, poppy seed oil, pumpkin seed oil, rambutan seed oil, rosehip oil, sesame oil, shea seed oil, tall oil, walnut oil and wheat germ oil, beef tallow, lard, fish oil; oils or fats obtained from the process of hardening, hydrogenation, trans-esterification, or randomisation, fractionation, distillation; and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         7 . A process according to  claim 1 , wherein said triacylglycerol comprises of saturated or unsaturated fatty acids having 2 to 24 carbon atoms, such as acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, valeric acid, caproic acid, enanthic acid, caprylic acid, pelargonic acid, capric acid, undecanoic acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, myristoleic acid, palmitic acid, palmitoleic acid, zoomaric acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, elaidic acid, petroselinic acid, linoleic acid, α-linolenic acid, γ-linolenic acid, stearidonic acid, arachidic acid, arachidonic acid, gadoleic acid, arachic acid, dihomo-ã-linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, behenic acid, erucic acid, adrenic acid, docosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, nervonic acid, or an isomeric form thereof, or fatty acids obtained by processing of oils or fats, hardening, hydrogenation, transesterification, or randomisation, fractionation, distillation; and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         8 . A process according to  claim 1 , wherein said dehydration method may be, for example centrifugation, condensation, distillation, evaporation or absorption.  
     
     
         9 . A process according to  claim 1 , wherein said separation method may be, for example steam distillation, molecular distillation or adsorption chromatography.  
     
     
         10 . An oil or fat composition comprising of diacylglycerol in an amount of up to 96% by weight as defined in the process as claimed in  claim 1 .  
     
     
         11 . An oil or fat composition according to  claim 10 , wherein said composition further includes at least one phytosteryl ester in an amount ranging from 0.5% to 25% by weight of diacylglycerol.  
     
     
         12 . An oil or fat composition as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein said composition further includes at least one ferulic acid ester in an amount ranging from 0.5% to 25% by weight of diacylglycerol.  
     
     
         13 . An oil or fat composition as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein said composition further includes at least one ferulic acid ester in an amount ranging from 0.5% to 25% by weight of diacylglycerol.  
     
     
         14 . An oil or fat-processed food product, a beverage product and a cooking oil product comprising of an oil or fat composition as defined in  claim 10 .  
     
     
         15 . An oil or fat-processed food product, a beverage product and a cooking oil product comprising of an oil or fat composition as defined in  claim 11 .  
     
     
         16 . An oil or fat-processed food product, a beverage product and a cooking oil product comprising of an oil or fat composition as defined in  claim 12 .  
     
     
         17 . An oil or fat-processed food product, a beverage product and a cooking oil product comprising of an oil or fat composition as defined in  claim 13.