Olive oil and microbial lipases: products and biotechnologies

Abstract

Fat and oil modification is one of the most dynamic and fastest growing sectors in food processing industry that demands novel economics and green technologies. In this connection, tailored vegetable oils with nutritionally important structured lipids have a big potential in the future market. Structured lipids can be synthesized from extravirgin olive oil and conjugated linoleic acid. These biotransformations are catalyzed by microbial lipases which are regio and fatty acid specific. Besides, conjugated linoleic acids provide a variety of health benefits, but it is not consumed in free fatty acid form. Further, oils could be also upgraded to synthesize low calories triacylglycerols, polyunsaturated fatty acidenriched and oleic acid enriched oils. This chapter highlights several strategies to improve the lipase activity and/or stability such as hybrid lipases technology, lipase immobilization and reaction medium engineering as well as the application, importance and significance of a series of lipases-catalyzed reactions in olive oil industry such as hydrolysis, glycerolysis of triglycerides to produce diacylglycerols, transesterification of waste olive oil, acidolysis of olive oil and conjugated linoleic acids, interesterification of olive oil and other triglycerides, etc.