Preparation of l-α-glyceryl phosphorylcholine by hydrolysis of soy lecithin using phospholipase A1 in a novel solvent-free water in oil system

Abstract

With various applications in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries, L-Alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine (l-α-GPC), is a valuable cholinergic substance whose natural resources is limited. Reported enzymatic pathway seems promising comparing chemical synthesis, while the low solubility of PC in water hinders its scaling-up production and involvement of organic solvent entails potential risks. A novel water-in-soybean oil solvent-free medium was applied in enzymatic preparation of l-α-GPC catalyzed by phospholipase A1, where 99.1% of the PC in soy lecithin was hydrolyzed with l-α-GPC yield of 95.8% (conditions: oil to PC ratio 4:1, water addition 30 wt%, enzyme loading 5 wt%, 55 °C, 3 h). The purity and recovery of purified (silica chromatography) l-α-GPC a with 94.8% and 83.0%, respectively. Efficient and intensive l-α-GPC preparation could be achieved using soybean oil medium, and the proposed system is with advantages of solvent-free, significant reduction of water, offering a green and practical approach for future l-α-GPC production.