Enzymatic methods for polyunsaturated fatty acid enrichment

Abstract

A process for obtaining polyunsaturated fatty acid concentrates comprising subjecting a fish oil containing docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), to a selective enzymatic hydrolysis in position 1, 3 or 2, to obtain a mixture of free fatty acids, monoglycerides and diglycerides, separating the constituents of this mixture, collecting the free fatty acids which are purified by crystallization from urea, to increase the EPA and DHA content, decomplexing the isolated fatty acids by an inter-esterification between the free fatty acids concentrated into polyunsaturated fatty acids and the crude oil, in the presence of a lipase specific for position or steric hindrance, to obtain a mixture enriched with polyunsaturated fatty acid triglycerides which is separated and freed from the free fatty acids and a process for enrichment with polyunsaturated fatty acids (EPA, DHA) of phospholipids by an enzymatic route, as well as in the synthesis of monoacylglycerols of polyunsaturated fatty acids of the n3 series, by enzymatic synthesis starting with a 1,2-dialkylene glycerol which are useful in the domain of foodstuffs, cosmetics and pharmacology.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.