Use of fixed bed reactor for enzymatic synthesis of structured lipids

• Grant number: 18/23945-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2019
• End date: January 31, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering - Chemical Process Industries
• Principal Investigator: Ariela Veloso de Paula
• Grantee: Marina de Freitas Rodrigues
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas (FCFAR). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araraquara. Araraquara , SP, Brazil

Abstract

One of the biggest challenges in modern food industry is the search for healthier and life friendly food due to the expanding number of diseases caused by bad nutrition. Noteworthy among these challenges there is interest in the modification of oils and fat aiming the attainment of structured lipids, which for human food stand out dietetic triglycerides, those exhibit high nutraceutical values compared with the market current oils. The MLM dietetic triglycerides have middle chain fatty acids (M) in the sn-1 and sn-3 position and long chain fatty acid in the sn-2 position, therefore it may be synthesize through enzymatic acidolysis of an oil. This piece of work aims to synthesize MLM dietetic triglycerides through enzymatic acidolysis of grape oil containing middle chain fatty acids (capric acid, C10) utilizing Lipozyme RM IM in a fixed bed reactor and executing the synthesis in only one reactor and connected reactors. The reaction product will be analyzed to determine the acidity, peroxide and degree of middle chain fatty acids into the MLM triglycerides incorporation. The results will make it possible to analyze the efficiency of reaction methods, demonstrating a promising project in Bioprocess Engineering area.