Enzymatic synthesis of designer lipids

¹ BioCentrum-DTU, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Lyngby, Denmark
² Lipid Science & Technology Division, Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad 500 007, India
³ Department of Molecular Biology, University of Aarhus, Gustav Wieds Vej 10, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark

^* xu@mb.au.dk

Abstract

Even though natural oils and fats play an important role in human nutrition, its excessive intake became major cause for so many health related problems and hence designer lipids came into focus. Designed or structured lipids are nothing but tailor-made oils and fats with improved physical and organoleptic properties to enhance the role of fats and oils in food, nutrition, and health applications. These designer lipids can be produced by chemical- or enzymatic (inter)esterification reactions and genetic engineering of oilseed crops. This review gives a general idea about the enzymatic modifications of natural lipids and their derivatives for the preparation of designer lipids. The commercialization outlook, food, nutritional and pharmaceutical applications of designer lipids are also briefly discussed.