Sousa, VanessaCampos, VitorNunes, PatriciaPires-Cabral, Paula2018-12-072018-12-072018-061258-82102257-6614http://hdl.handle.net/10400.1/11750Structured lipids (SLs) are novel triacylglycerols obtained by changing the native fatty acid (FA) profiles or by the incorporation of a new desired FA in the acylglycerol backbone. These modified fats present important medical and functional properties for food applications. This work aimed to synthetize a MLM-type SL, which consists of triacylglycerols containing a medium-chain FA (M) at sn-1,3 positions and a long-chain FA (L) at sn-2 position, by acidolysis of pumpkin seed oil with capric acid, catalyzed by a commercial lipase preparation from Thermomyces lanuginosa (Lipozyme TL IM). Reactions were performed at 45 degrees C, in solvent-free media, at 1: 2 molar ratio (pumpkin seed oil: capric acid) and a fixed amount of immobilized lipase of 5%, 10%, 15% or 20%. Incorporations of C10: 0 increased with time up to 31 h (29.9 +/- 0.7 mol-%) when 5% lipase load was used. Significant differences were only observed between the results obtained with 5 and 20% of biocatalyst load. The subsequent experiment was carried out with 5% lipase load, at 45 degrees C, 1: 2 molar ratio and in the presence of n-hexane. The results showed slightly higher incorporation yields in the presence of solvent, namely at 48 h-reaction (34.7 +/- 1.0 mol-%). However, since the structured lipids are to be used in food products, together with environmental and economic concerns, solvent-free systems are preferred. In this study, the synthesis of a MLM-type SL from pumpkin seed oil for food uses was well succeeded.engCucurbita-Pepo LStructured LipidsChemical-CompositionFatty-AcidsInteresterificationTriacylglycerolsjournal article10.1051/ocl/2018004