Progress & Prospect of Enzyme-Mediated Structured Phospholipids Preparation

Abstract

In recent years, structured phospholipids (SPLs), which are modified phospholipids (PLs), have attracted more attention due to their great potential for application in the field of pharmacy, food, cosmetics, and health. SPLs not only possess enhanced chemical, physical and nutritional properties, but also present superior bioavailability in comparison with other lipid forms, such as triacylglycerols, which make SPLs become more competitive carriers to increase the absorption of the specific fatty acids in the body. Compared with chemical-mediated SPLs, the process of enzyme-mediated SPLs has the advantages of high product variety, high substrate selectivity, and mild operation conditions. Both lipases and phospholipases can be used in the enzymatic production of SPLs, and the main reaction type contains esterification, acidolysis, and transesterification. During the preparation, reaction medium, acyl migration, water content/activity, substrates and enzymes, and some other parameters have significant effects on the production and purity of the desired PLs products. In this paper, the progress in enzymatic modification of PLs over the last 20 years is reviewed. Reaction types and characteristic parameters are summarized in detail and the parameters affecting acyl migration are first discussed to give the inspiration to optimize the enzyme-mediated SPLs preparation. To expand the application of enzyme-mediated SPLs in the future, the prospect of further study on SPLs is also proposed at the end of the paper.

Enzymatic Synthesis of Arachidonic Acid-Rich Phosphatidylcholine from Arachidonic Acid Ethyl Esters

“…However, the incorporation of ARA may decrease once the optimal ratio is reached and the amount of ARA-rich EE continues to increase. The additional ARA-rich EE makes the reaction system more viscous, which impedes the diffusion of substrates and reduces the possibility of molecular collisions [23]. A higher stirring intensity allows the substrate to be mixed uniformly, and the enzyme effect is unrestricted by substrate diffusion [41].…”

“…Lipozyme RM IM and lipozyme TL IM are specific to the sn-1,3 region, whereas the Novozym 435 is classified as non-specific [43]. Phospholipase A1 primarily acts on phospholipid bonds at the sn-1 position and demonstrated superior catalytic properties in incorporating medium and long-chain fatty acids into phospholipids [23]. Although phospholipases are capable of catalyzing the production of structured phospholipids, their low productivity and high cost preclude their widespread application [22].…”

“…Structured phospholipids are synthesized using chemical and enzymatic methods. In the chemical method, the functional groups of phospholipids, such as polar head groups and carbon-carbon double bonds, react with chemicals [23]. However, some chemical reagents have poor safety which restricts their application in the field of food.…”

“…Selecting appropriate substrates with optimal lipase activity is the foundation for improving the yield of the target products. Meanwhile, the yield and purity of the eventual products are significantly affected by process variables such as the reaction medium and acyl migration [23]. Therefore, experimental designs have been proposed to optimize the critical parameters in a given system.…”

Phospholipase Family Enzymes in Lung Cancer: Looking for Novel Therapeutic Approaches

“…The three mammalian families of phospholipases are phospholipases A, C, and D (PLA, PLC, and PLD, respectively). The differences among these groups primarily relate to the type of reaction they catalyze [ 15 ]. PLA, PLC, and PLD ( Figure 1 ) are fundamental mediators of intracellular and intercellular signaling, acting as phospholipid-hydrolyzing enzymes that can generate many bioactive lipid mediators, including diacylglycerol (DAG), phosphatidic acid (PA), lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), and arachidonic acid (AA) [ 14 , 15 , 16 ].…”