Palm Mid Fraction Research Articles

Can palm oil be substituted? A rheological study of fat mixtures.

Due to its distinctive fatty acid makeup, which makes it simple to utilize in various applications, palm oil is one of the most widely used fats in the food business. However, the increased palm oil production is causing global environmental issues, including the loss of rainforests. As a result, companies that use palm oil, particularly the food industry, must hunt for alternate sources of fat that can replace palm oil. Oleogels, which are created from liquid oils, are one of the potential substitutes. Another alternative is to combine solid fat and liquid oil, however, research in this area is scarce. To fill this gap, we used a fully hydrogenized rapeseed oil and sunflower oil mixture in three different ratios for our research. We examined the rheological behavior of the mixtures using oscillatory and rotational viscometry. According to our results, 35% FH rapeseed oil sample yielded results most closely resembling the control palm mid fraction. Our findings show that replacing palm oil with a combination of completely hydrogenated rapeseed oil and sunflower oil is only viable to a limited degree from a rheological point of view.

Development of healthier and industrially applicable oleogel with low saturated fatty acid content using a small amount of high-melting fat

We aimed to develop a low-saturated fat oleogel with a small amount of high-melting fat and elucidate its gelation mechanism. Fully hydrogenated rapeseed oil rich in behenic acid (FHR-B), fully hydrogenated rapeseed oil rich in stearic acid (FHR-S), fully hydrogenated fish oil extracted from sardines (FHF), fully hydrogenated beef tallow (FHBT), fully hydrogenated palm oil (FHP), and fully hydrogenated hard palm mid-fraction (FHHPMF) were used as oleogelators. The gelation ability, chemical composition, crystal morphology, polymorphism, and melting properties of the prepared samples were evaluated. FHR-B, FHF, FHP, and FHHPMF formed gels with 2 wt% or lower concentrations. High-melting fat with a high gelation ability formed fibrous crystals with a high aspect ratio, that is, whisker crystals, in canola oil. The crystal morphology was affected by the triacylglycerol composition. Moreover, high-temperature storage caused the separation of TAGs, affecting the crystal morphology. Hence, high-melting fats with complex TAG compositions showed different gelation behaviors depending on the storage temperature. We confirmed that FHHPMF exhibited exceptionally high gelation ability, forming a gel at only 0.5 wt%. Therefore, FHHPMF may be a suitable oleogelator for industrial use with a controllable saturated fatty acid content and waxy mouthfeel.

Natural crystallisation of tucuma (Astrocaryum vulgare Mart.) pulp olein

Tucuma (Astrocaryum vulgare Mart.) is a native Amazonian fruit rich in lipids, the exploitation of which is performed sustainably by small local producers. This paper investigates the potential of natural crystallisation of tucuma olein to produce fractions that could potentially replace palm oil in food products. The olein crystallisation was performed over 2 and 7 days. The physical, chemical, and rheological characteristics of the tucuma olein and its fractions were evaluated. There was no significant difference in the mass percentage of phase formation between the 2nd and 7th day of cooling. The super olein (upper phase) fraction had a higher total carotenoid content per g of oil than both the olein and the mid-fraction (heavier phase). All fractions presented oleic acid as the major component and triacylglycerols with 52 and 54 carbon atoms, with a predominance of two unsaturated acyl chains and fully unsaturated triacylglycerols. Tucuma mid-fraction showed characteristics of a pseudoplastic fluid behaviour and pseudo-β' crystals as palm stearin and palm mid-fraction. Therefore, tucuma mid-fraction has potential application in the food industry to replace palm and trans-fat oils.

Crystallization and Polymorphism of Cocoa Butter Equivalents from Blends of Palm Mid Fraction and Hard Stearins Produced by Enzymatic Acidolysis of High Oleic Sunflower Oil

AbstractCocoa butter equivalents (CBEs) are formulated by mixing palm mid fraction (PMF) with silica‐treated hard stearin fractions produced via enzymatic acidolysis of high oleic sunflower oil with various mixtures of stearic and palmitic acids. The CBE blends always contain ≈30% 1,3‐distearoyl‐2‐oleoyl‐sn‐glycerol, but vary in 1,3‐dipalmitoyl‐2‐oleoyl‐sn‐glycerol (POP; 40–45%) and rac‐1‐palmitoyl‐2‐oleoyl‐3‐stearoyl glycerol (POSt; 10‐16%) content. Overall symmetric disaturated monounsaturated (Sat‐O‐Sat) levels range from 81–86%. The effects of varying POP/POSt content on the non‐isothermal and isothermal crystallization (at 20 °C) of the CBEs are then studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), stop and return DSC, and X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and compared with CB. Four polymorphs (I/sub‐α, II/α, IV/β′, and V/β) are identified which appear at different stages. The addition of PMF (raising POP levels) slows crystallization rates compared to the original stearins, but higher levels of POP also produce a small amount of V/β in under 4 h at 20 °C via apparent transformation from II/α. This does not occur with (high POSt) CB samples. However, after storage at 20 °C for 7 days, CB demonstrates greater transformation to V/β (from IV/β′) as confirmed via XRD. Solid fat contents of CBE blends are higher than CB due to higher Sat‐O‐Sat levels.Practical applications: The paper demonstrates a new route for formulating CBEs. The relative proportions of StOSt, POSt and POP in the formulation can be controlled by changing the proportions of palmitic and stearic acid used in the enzymatic acidolysis and the blend ratio with the PMF. This can then be used to fine‐tune the crystallization behavior.

Production of cocoa butter equivalent from blending of illipé butter and palm mid-fraction

Cocoa butter equivalent (CBE) was prepared from illipé butter (IB) and palm mid-fraction (PMF) blends in different wt ratios. The solid fat content (SFC), compatibility, crystallization/melting thermograms and crystal microstructure of the blends were studied. Softening occurred with IB/PMF blends due to eutectic formation and resulted in blend 75/25 (IB/PMF) exhibiting SFC profile and crystallization/melting behavior comparable to CB and hence it was selected to be used as a CBE. The CBE was fully compatible with CB and displayed similar polymorphic structure (β2) and isothermal crystallization curve to CB. When it was used to partially replace CB in chocolate (5 %wt of the finished product), the hardness, SFC and the bloom formation behavior of the chocolate were not significantly different from the chocolate made with CB. Overall, the 75/25 blend met all criteria to be considered as CBE, hence, it can be used as an alternative to commercially available CBE.

Synthesis of confectionery fat from illipé butter stearin and palm mid‐fraction blend via enzymatic interesterification

AbstractCocoa butter equivalent (CBE) was synthesised from blends of illipé butter stearin (IBS) and palm mid‐fraction (PMF) via enzymatic interesterification (EIE). IBS was blended with PMF in three wt ratios (70:30, 60:40 and 50:50) and the EIE reactions were performed at 50°C for 30 min using an sn‐1,3‐specific lipase from Rhizopus oryzae as a catalyst. The triacylglycerol (TAG) compositions, slip melting points (SMP), crystallisation and melting thermograms, solid fat content (SFC) curves, and crystal microstructure of the blends before and after EIE were studied and compared with cocoa butter (CB). After EIE, the contents of POP and StOSt decreased, whereas the POSt content increased in all blends. Blend EIE 60:40 exhibited the POP and StOSt contents that situated within the ranges of POP and StOSt contents of CB. It also showed SMP, melting peak and melting completion temperatures, melting enthalpy and crystal microstructure most similar to CB. Most importantly, its SFC curve completely matched that of CB. Consequently, EIE 60:40 was chosen for further investigation and it was found to be fully compatible with CB and crystallised into the same polymorphic form (β) as CB. Therefore, EIE 60:40 has a high potential for use as a commercial CBE.

Formation of dark chocolate fats with improved heat stability and desirable miscibility by blending cocoa butter with mango kernel fat stearin and hard palm-mid fraction

Softening and fat bloom are serious quality defects for dark chocolates, which mainly results from insufficient melting characteristics of cocoa butter (CB) and more likely to occur in countries with warm and hot climates. Mango kernel fat stearin (MKFS) and hard palm-mid fraction (HPMF) share similar triacylglycerol structure to CB. They can hopefully be used to improve both heat and bloom stabilities, making them suitable for use in hot climates. In the present study, chocolate fats blended with 70% CB, 25–30% MKFS, and 0–5% HPMF contributed to forming miscible triacylglycerol compositions containing 35.6–39.1% 1,3-distearoyl-2-oleoyl-glycerol, 34.0% 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-3-stearoyl-glycerol, and 12.4–16.0% of 1,3-dipalmitoyl-2-oleoyl-glycerol. Such desirable compositions made the fats significantly harder than CB. Their melting points ranged from 29.0 to 29.4 to 40.3–40.7 °C; in contrast, CB melted from 27.5 to 38.1 °C. The prepared fats and CB exhibited desirable β crystals through tempering, which is consistent with the results of microstructure, forming featherlike crystals. These attributes may help in formulating dark chocolates with improved heat and fat bloom stabilities.

Tailoring crystallization and physical properties of palm mid-fraction with sorbitan tristearate and sucrose stearate

This paper addresses sorbitan and sucrose ester in physical transformations of palm mid-fraction (PMF). Both emulsifiers influenced the crystallization properties of PMF, mainly due to emulsifier solubility, which affects its ability to interfere with the kinetics of solution-mediated phase transformations. DSC results corroborate the polymorphism analysis, indicating that the mechanism and rate of phase transformation depend on the chemical structure and amount of each emulsifier. The addition of sorbitan tristearate (STS) and sucrose stearate (S-370) increased the crystallization speed of the PMF and caused changes in the crystallization behavior. STS favored the β'→β transition, while S-370 stabilized the β'-form. We can conclude that the presence of emulsifiers dissimilar to the composition of PMF modified its physical structure, either by increasing the liquid fraction or by reducing molecular motion, facilitating or preventing polymorphic transformations.

Oil Diffusion in Fat Crystal Matrices: Characterization by NMR Relaxometry and Diffusometry

AbstractA novel technique based on high resolution (HR)‐NMR diffusometry is presented to investigate oil diffusion on the (sub)‐micron scale level in fat crystal networks in situ and in a non‐destructive way. The use of a high‐gradient probe enables the observation of the time (Δ)‐dependent diffusion behavior in fat blends (FBs) of different solid fat content (SFC), as obtained by mixing soft palm mid fraction and high‐oleic sunflower oil. Hereby, the NMR‐diffusion data are analyzed using CONTIN to obtain a continuous distribution of diffusion coefficients. As such, the hindrance of the oil diffusion by the fat crystal network is examined. The characterization of the lipid matrices is completed with 1H‐LR‐NMR relaxometry, X‐ray diffraction, and microstructural visualization. For the investigated FBs, the average diffusion coefficient D(Δ) decreased with increasing SFC, indicating an increased tortuosity of the diffusive path due to an increasing density of the fat crystal networks as observed by polarized light microscopy. This is also supported by an increase in crystal surface area which is indicated by T2‐relaxation analysis. This study shows that NMR diffusometry is a promising technique for investigation of structure‐function relationships in fat systems.Practical Applications: The study shows that NMR diffusometry is a promising technique for investigation of structure‐function relationships in fat systems. For the first time, oil diffusion in fat crystal networks has been studied by HR‐NMR diffusometry with high gradients to collect the diffusional echo signals, while CONTIN‐analysis has been used for the first time to process the data.

Rheo-NMR to investigate fat crystallization under shear

It is well known that shear has an effect on fat crystallization. Whereas rheo-NMR has been used to study the impact of shear on the crystallization kinetics in the past, these methods mostly used a simple Teflon mixing shaft inside a sophisticated NMR instrument to apply shear to the sample. However, this method did not enable the determination of rheological parameters. In this work, a custom made low-field rheo-NMR device was evaluated, consisting of a commercial rheometer combined with a low-field permanent magnet to enable simultaneous rheological and NMR measurements. Two fats, i.e. partially hardened sunflower oil (PHSO) and soft palm mid fraction (sPMF), were submitted to several rheo-NMR experiments. The results of these experiments clearly indicated that these fats crystallized differently. First, PHSO crystallized faster than sPMF. Moreover, the latter seemed to crystallize in two steps. Initially a weak structure was formed when a low amount of solids was present, but this structure was replaced by a stronger network once more crystals were present. Both fats were studied under stagnant conditions, but also when submitted to low shear rates (1 s−1 and 5 s−1). It was shown that the amount of solids necessary to obtain a viscosity of 10 ​Pa ​s was higher when the shear rate was higher. The strength of the formed crystal network at a given percentage of solids was also weaker as the shear rate during crystallization increased. Whereas these experiments were done non-isothermally, it was shown that rheo-NMR can also perfectly be used for isothermal measurements.

Rhizomucor miehei lipase-catalysed synthesis of cocoa butter equivalent from palm mid-fraction and stearic acid: Characteristics and feasibility as cocoa butter alternative

In this study, cocoa butter equivalents (CBEs) were prepared through enzymatic interesterification of palm mid-fraction (PMF) with stearic acid (SA). The reaction process parameters were experimented and the performance of the product was analysed. PMF and stearic acid (at a mass ratio of 1:2) were catalysed by 80 g kg−1 enzyme loading of Lipozyme RM IM fromRhizomucor mieheiat 60 °C for 120 min. The yield of the CBE product was more than 92%, and the CBE resembled cocoa butter (CB) in terms of its triacylglycerol composition. The hardness of the CBE product was higher than that of CB at different storage temperatures, but this difference was not obvious at 25 °C. The polymorphic structures and SFC curve of the CBE were similar to those of the CB. In addition, the CBE could be mixed with CB in any ratio without an obvious eutectic phenomena. Up to 40% CBE could be added to CB without significantly affecting the thermodynamic properties of CB. Thus, replacing CB with the CBE product is feasible.

Effects of shortening and baking temperature on quality, MCPD ester and glycidyl ester content of conventional baked cake

The quality of a baked product can be greatly affected by the choice of shortening. However, a palm-based shortening can be contaminated by monochlropropanol (MCPD) ester and glycidyl ester (GE) as it is a product derived from a refined palm oil. MCPD esters and GE can be transferred into a baked product through further processing. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of different palm-based shortening on the qualities of cake, MCPD esters and GE content during a conventional baking system. Commercial margarine, palm olein, palm mid-fraction, and soft and hard stearin were used in a cake recipe, baked at different baking temperatures (160, 180 and 200 °C) for 20 min. First, the quality characteristics of baked cake (moisture content, texture profile and surface color) was analysed. Second, the MCPD esters and GE content, acylglycerol composition and oxidation status of the fats portion from baked cake were investigated. The results showed soft stearin, palm olein and margarine delivered a similar volume, surface color, and texture to the finished product. An elevated baking temperature was detrimental to the quality characteristics of all the studied samples and delivered a finished product with extra hardness and low moisture. The free fatty acid content and specific extinction value showed that the fat portions were significantly oxidized at high baking temperatures. In addition, 2- and 3-MCPD esters were stable during baking, but GE showed that it was vulnerable to the heating process and constantly degrades when the baking temperature increased. In short, the finished products were in better quality (physical and texture properties) when lower baking temperature (160 °C) was used, especially when margarine, soft stearin and palm olein were used as the shortening. Hard stearin naturally contains lower MCPD esters and GE, but it was not able to provide similar qualities as compared to margarine sample.

Fat crystallization and melting in W/O/W double emulsions: Comparison between bulk and emulsified state

Water-in-oil-in-water (W/O/W) technology enables the development of an emulsion-based delivery system for functional food applications. The functionality of this system depends on the oil barrier of the double emulsion, whereby the fat matrix properties (e.g. solid fat content) play an important role. First, the effect of W/O/W emulsification on fat crystallization and melting behavior was studied and compared to bulk fat. Second, the effect of fat composition was investigated. As such, W/O/W emulsions were produced with a slow and fast crystallizing fat, i.e. soft palm mid fraction (sPMF) and partially hydrogenated sunflower oil, respectively, upon cooling and subsequent isothermal crystallization. Low resolution NMR and DSC techniques were applied, and indications about the polymorphic behavior were verified by real-time synchrotron XRD measurements. Except from increased supercooling, the overall fat crystallization dynamics in the W/O/W emulsions were similar to bulk, irrespective of the used fat. Yet, broadening of the long spacing peaks in the W/O/W emulsions indicated less ordered triacylglycerol longitudinal stacking compared to bulk. This effect was more pronounced in case of α-crystals than β’-crystals. With respect to W/O/W functionality, the melting behavior of the W/O/WsPMF emulsion showed promise as a possible carrier system with a thermo-responsive release mechanism for functional foods.

Effects of chemical interesterification on the triacylglycerols, solid fat contents and crystallization kinetics of palm oil-based fats.

The effects of chemical interesterification (CIE) on the physicochemical properties and crystallization kinetics of oil blends containing palm oil (PO) in combination with six other types of oils were studied. The CIE reaction was performed at a reaction temperature of 105 °C for 30 min, catalyzed by 0.3% sodium methoxide. The results showed that the formation of β' crystals was prominent and the crystallization rate increased significantly when PO was interesterified with beef tallow (BT). The presence of soybean oil (SBO) in the oil blend significantly increased the triacylglycerol (TAG) S/U/U content after CIE. For the sample consisting of a pure vegetable oil base, a gradual change in the crystallization rate was observed and the formation of β crystals was dominant. The S/U/U content in the oil blends that contained palm kernel oil (PKO) decreased after CIE. Together in the presence of SBO, PKO had stronger ability to stabilize S/U/U, enriched the TAG composition (particularly by increasing the C44 TAG content), accelerated the crystallization rate and formed β' crystals. The addition of a sufficient amount of palm mid fraction (PMF) could improve the high-temperature solid fat content and expand the plasticity range. Changes in the Avrami constant K and n values derived from solid fat content and heat enthalpy also suggested the modification of the crystal growth mechanism through the CIE process.

Facile lipase-catalyzed synthesis of a chocolate fat mimetic

A cocoa butter equivalent (CBE) was synthesized enzymatically from readily available edible fats with fatty acid and triacylglycerol compositions that closely resemble the fat present in chocolate, cocoa butter. A commercially available immobilized fungal lipase, Lipozyme RM IM, was used as the reaction catalyst. Reaction parameters were a temperature of 65 °C, water activity of 0.11, a 4 h reaction time, and a substrate mass ratio of a commercial enzymatically synthesized shea stearin (SS) to palm mid-fraction (PMF) of 6:4 (w/w). Fractionation was also used after reaction completion to further approach the triacylglycerol composition of cocoa butter by removing trisaturated and unsaturated triacylglycerols. The yield of the triglyceride 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl, 3-stearoyl-glycerol (POS) produced was 57.7% (w/w). The amounts of 1,3-dipalmitoyl-2-oleoyl-glycerol (POP), (POS) and 1,3-stearoyl-2-oleoyl-glycerol (SOS) in the final CBE were 11.2%, 36.3%, and 34.8%, respectively. In comparison, the amounts of POP, POS and SOS in the cocoa butter used in this study were 15.2%, 38.2%, and 27.8%, respectively. No significant differences (P > 0.05) in melting point and enthalpy of fusion between CB and the CBE were observed. In comparison, a non-interesterified blend of SS and PMF (60:40 w/w) showed significantly (P < 0.05) higher melting point and lower enthalpy of fusion compared to CB. The crystal polymorphic form V of CB (β2-3L) was similar to that of CBE and SS/PMF (60:40 w/w). The solid fat content (SFC) vs. temperature profile of the CBE generally resembled that of CB, except that the CBE had significantly (P < 0.05) higher SFCs at 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 °C compared to both CB and SS/PMF (60:40 w/w). Addition of 15% (w/w) CBE to CB did not cause any changes in physical properties (melting point, SFC and crystal polymorphic forms) of the CB. This study demonstrates the potential for synthesizing a CB-like CBE using a green, rapid, straightforward one step enzymatic conversion followed by fractionation from widely available edible fats.

Physicochemical characteristics of fat blend from hydrogenated coconut oil and acyl migrated palm mid-fraction

Palm mid-fraction (PMF), which has a high content of symmetric POP, was converted to asymmetric PPO (APMF) via acyl migration. After solvent fractionation, the liquid phase of acyl migrated PMF (APMF-L) was obtained and blended with hydrogenated coconut oil (HCO, 50:50, w/w) to produce a fat blend (namely, an alternative fat blend) which had reduced saturated fatty acid content while having similar melting behavior to HCO. In an alternative fat blend, the major fatty acids were lauric (27.94), palmitic (26.93) and oleic (15.75 mol%) acid. The solid fat index was quite similar to that of HCO, especially at 28–44 °C. Nevertheless, an alternative fat blend had lower saturated fatty acid content, by 18%, compared to HCO. The content of highly atherogenic myristic acid was reduced by approximately 40%. The alternative fat blend in this study could be used as a raw material for non-dairy cream with low saturated fat content.

Preparation of mango kernel fat stearin-based hard chocolate fats via physical blending and enzymatic interesterification

Mango kernel fat-third stearin (MKF-TS) is one of the most valuable cocoa butter improvers. Hard chocolate fats were prepared using MKF-TS, hard palm-mid fraction (HPMF) and cocoa butter (CB) via physical blending and enzymatic interesterification. The optimal physical blend (PB) produced from 10% HPMF, 55% MKF-TS and 35% CB contained 60.9 g/100 g 1,3-distearoyl-2-oleoyl-glycerol, 21.1 g/100 g 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-3-stearoylglycerol and 9.5 g/100 g 1,3-dipalmitoyl-2-oleoylglycerol. The optimal interesterified blend (IB) enzymatically synthesized from 20% HPMF, 60% MKF-TS and 20% CB shared similar triacylglycerol composition to PB. Both PB and IB showed improved thermostabilities compared to CB in terms of sold fat contents, melting and crystallization behaviors. They also exhibited β polymorphic forms and 50–120 μm featherlike crystals, which were close to those of CB. The melting of IB tended to be sharper than non-interesterified blend (Non-IB) and its crystals were more continuous and uniform, indicating that enzymatic interesterification is a potential technique for manufacturing hard chocolate fats.

Texture, rheology and fat bloom study of ‘chocolates’ made from cocoa butter equivalent synthesized from illipe butter and palm mid-fraction

Cocoa butter equivalent (CBE) enzymatically synthesized from illipe butter and palm mid fraction (IP), its non-interesterified physical blend (PB), illipe butter (IB), and cocoa butter (CB) were used to make dark (D) and white (W) ‘chocolates’. Their particle size distribution, texture, and rheology were compared. White ‘chocolate’ made with illipe butter (WIB) had the highest melting completion temperature of 39.4 °C. D90 and D(4,3) values in both dark and white ‘chocolate’ from CBE and CB were not significantly different. Both dark and white ‘chocolates’ made from IP and CB displayed similar hardness while PB had the lowest hardness. Only dark ‘chocolate’ was used to measure fat bloom. Fat bloom was delayed in dark ‘chocolate’ made with illipe butter (DIB), and it was further delayed in dark chocolate made with cocoa butter (DCB) and dark ‘chocolate’ made with interesterified product (DIP) when 0.5% sugar ester was added. This study suggests that CBE from illipe butter and palm mid-fraction can be used to make dark and white ‘chocolate’ with similar textural, particle size, rheological and fat bloom properties with CB. DIB and the addition of 0.5% sugar ester in chocolates may also be used to delay fat bloom development.

Influence of Fatty Acid Moieties of Sorbitan Esters on Polymorphic Occurrence of the Palm Mid‐Fraction

AbstractThe influence of chain length and subcell packing of fatty‐acid moieties in sorbitan esters (SE) on the polymorphism of the palm midfraction (PMF) was examined. SE with different fatty‐acid moieties (sorbitan tripalmitate; sorbitan tristearate [STS]; and sorbitan tribehenate [STB]) were blended with PMF and PMF polymorph formation was examined using synchrotron radiation X‐ray diffraction and differential interference contrast microscopy. PMF without additives was crystallized in the β′ form under the isothermal condition at 22 °C; however, the addition of STS, which forms an α subcell structure, promoted the crystallization of PMF in the α form. In contrast, crystallization of PMF in the β′ form was accelerated by the addition of STB. These results showed that when the chain length of the fatty‐acid moiety between fat and emulsifiers was similar, the crystallization of PMF in the α form was promoted by the α subcell packing in STS crystals that were nucleated prior to PMF crystallization. In contrast, STB crystals, which have an α subcell packing, accelerated the crystallization of PMF in the β′ form because of the large difference between the chain lengths of STB and PMF. Therefore, structural similarities in both the chain length and the subcell packing are essential features that regulate the template effect, and the promotion of the crystallization of PMF in the β′ form by the addition of STB was caused by heterogeneous nucleation.

Synthesis of a Cocoa Butter Equivalent by Enzymatic Interesterification of Illipe Butter and Palm Midfraction

AbstractThis study aims to synthesize a cocoa butter equivalent (CBE)‐structured lipid from a blend of illipe butter (IB) and palm midfraction (PMF) by means of enzymatic interesterification using Rhizomucor miehei sn‐1,3 specific lipase, Lipozyme® RM IM (Novozymes North America, Inc., Franklinton, NC, USA) as the biocatalyst. Physical and chemical attributes of the CBE and cocoa butter (CB) were analyzed. The synthesized CBE matched the triacylglycerol (TAG) profile range of a commercial CB and is therefore hypothesized to show similar physical and chemical characteristics to CB. The TAG profile, fatty‐acid constituents, melting and cooling behavior, polymorphism, and crystal morphology were determined using high‐performance liquid chromatography, gas chromatography, differential scanning calorimetry, X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and polarized light microscopy, respectively. Four enzymatically interesterified blends of IB:PMF at different weight ratios were analyzed for their TAG profiles, and a ratio of IB:PMF 10:3 (%, w/w) at 5% enzyme load and a reaction time of 30 min gave similar TAG results to CB. The TAG values of the IB:PMF 10:3 interesterified product (IP) were 1,3‐dipalmitoyl‐2‐oleoylglycerol at 19.1 ± 1.0%, 1‐palmitoyl‐2‐oleoyl‐3‐stearoylglycerol at 42.7 ± 1.0%, and 1,3‐distearoyl‐2‐oleoylglycerol at 29.9 ± 0.3%. The melting and the cooling profile of IP and CB showed no significant difference. XRD of IP and CB displayed similar dominant peaks at 4.6 Å, representing a β polymorph. Both CB and IP have similar granular spherulitic crystals.