Concentration of fatty acid alkyl esters by enzymatic reactions with glycerol
AssigneeEpax Norway AS
InventorsPer Christian Saebo, Inge Bruheim, Daniele Mancinelli, Asgeir Saebo
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Abstract
An enzymatic process for the kinetic separation of alkyl esters under organic solvent free conditions is disclosed. Alkyl esters obtained from e.g. fish oil are reacted with glycerol, in the presence of water, at different rates in an evacuated chamber. The reaction is terminated prior to reaching equilibrium and the enriched alkyl ester fraction is isolated from the reaction mixture by short path distillation.
Claims17
A method of obtaining a fatty acid ester composition having an increased concentration of at least one alkyl ester, and formulating the same, the method comprising the steps:
- (a) combining (1) an initial fatty acid ester composition comprising a plurality of different fatty acid esters each at an initial concentration, wherein the plurality of different fatty acid esters comprises at least one alkyl ester selected from the group consisting of cis-6,9,12 octadecatrienoic (GLA) ethyl ester and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) alkyl ester, (2) glycerol and (3) a catalytically effective amount of an enzyme, to form a mixture, wherein the enzyme is rhizomucor miehei lipase;
- (b) subjecting the mixture to reaction conditions under reduced pressure of between about 0.1-1.0 mbar and in the presence of water, wherein the water is added as water vapor such that the at least one alkyl ester esterifies with the glycerol at a lower rate as compared to other fatty acid esters in the initial fatty acid ester composition, to provide reaction products comprising (1) a glyceride composition and (2) a modified fatty acid ester composition comprising the at least one alkyl ester, wherein the at least one alkyl ester is present in the modified fatty acid ester composition at a concentration that is at least 11 percentage points more than an initial concentration of the at least one alkyl ester in the initial fatty acid ester composition;
- (c) separating the modified fatty acid ester composition from the glyceride composition;
- and
- (d) formulating the modified fatty acid ester composition as a food product, a feed product, a food supplement or a pharmaceutical product suitable for consumption by an animal or a human.
A method of obtaining a fatty acid ester composition having an increased concentration of at least one alkyl ester, formulating and consuming of the same, the method comprising the steps:
- (a) combining (1) an initial fatty acid ester composition comprising a plurality of different fatty acid esters each at an initial concentration, wherein the plurality of different fatty acid esters comprises at least one alkyl ester selected from the group consisting of cis-6,9,12 octadecatrienoic (GLA) ethyl ester and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) alkyl ester, or (2) glycerol and (3) a catalytically effective amount of an enzyme, to form a mixture, wherein the enzyme is rhizomucor miehei lipase;
- (b) subjecting the mixture to reaction conditions under reduced pressure of between about 0.1-1.0 mbar and in the presence of water, wherein the water is added as water vapor such that the at least one alkyl ester esterifies with the glycerol at a lower rate as compared to other fatty acid esters in the initial fatty acid ester composition, to provide reaction products comprising (1) a glyceride composition and (2) a modified fatty acid ester composition comprising the at least one alkyl ester, wherein the at least one alkyl ester is present in the modified fatty acid ester composition at a concentration that is at least 11 percentage points more than an initial concentration of the at least one alkyl ester in the initial fatty acid ester composition;
- (c) separating the modified fatty acid ester composition from the glyceride composition;
- (d) formulating the modified fatty acid ester composition as a pharmaceutical product suitable for consumption by a human;
- and
- (e) consuming of the pharmaceutical product by a human.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.