1,3‐Dioleoyl‐2‐palmitoyl glycerol (OPO)—Enzymatic synthesis and use as an important supplement in infant formulas

Abstract

1,3‐dioleolyl‐2‐palmitate (OPO) is an important component of the human milk fat. Its unique fatty acid composition and distribution play an important role in proper infant growth and development. Owing to this, it has been attracting researchers and manufacturers to synthesize and commercialize OPO as an important human milk fat substitute added to infant formulas. In this review, the role of OPO in human milk, the benefits of OPO (sn‐2 palmitate)‐supplemented infant formulas over the conventional infant formulas on infant growth, and lipase‐catalyzed synthesis of OPO are discussed. Over the last 20 years of research on the benefits of OPO (sn2 palmitate)‐supplemented infant formulas are summarized. Similarly, studies carried out on lipase catalyzed production of OPO for the last 21 years (1999–2019) are also done focusing on the raw materials, sn1,3‐regiospecific lipases, immobilization materials, and solvents used in the laboratory‐scale experiments. In addition, OPO‐based products currently in the market and future research trends are briefly covered in this review. Practical applications This work focuses on lipase‐catalyzed synthesis of 1,3‐dioleoyl‐2‐palmitoylglycerol (the most abundant triacyl glycerol in human milk fat) and its benefits to infants when it is added in infant formulas. Over the last 20 years of published research from the literature are summarized and future research trends for efficient OPO synthesis are also covered. This will provide current and future researchers on the field with the necessary background information on OPO synthesis and design their research plans accordingly for cost‐effective production of OPO and OPO‐supplemented infant formulas.

Stool Saponified Fatty Acid, Behavior, Growth, and Stool Characteristics in Infants Fed a High-OPO Formula: A Randomized, Double-Blind Clinical Trial

“…1,3-Dioleoyl-2-palmitoylglycerol (OPO) is an ideal structured triglyceride for infant formula that has a similar structure to human milk fat and a variety of beneficial effects on infants ( 12 ). When OPO enters the gastrointestinal tract, the oleic acid at the sn-1 and sn-3 positions is degraded to oleic acid.…”

1-Oleate-2-palmitate-3-linoleate glycerol improves lipid metabolism and gut microbiota and decreases the level of pro-inflammatory cytokines

“…2 Lipid in human milk contains triglycerides with a percentage of 98%-99% and various minor components including phospholipids, sterols, monoacylglycerols (MAGs), diacylglycerols (DAGs), free fatty acids (FFAs), and other substances. 3 As reported, around 400 kinds of TAGs had been observed in human milk fat. 4 Interestingly, these TAGs exhibit unique fatty acid composition and positional distribution on glycerol, with about 70% of the sn-2 position occupied by palmitic acid, 5 named sn-2 palmitates/β-palmitates.…”

Medium- and long-chain triacylglycerols and di-unsaturated fatty acyl-palmitoyl-glycerols in Chinese human milk: Association with region during the lactation

“…In human milk, 59% TAGs contained 16:0, and 32% TAGs were di-unsaturated fatty acyl-palmitoyl-glycerols (UPU) (8). However, the majority of studies made efforts on the benefit of abundant species in human milk, such as O-P-O (10%) or O-P-L (13%), neglecting other TAGs containing palmitic acid (8,9). For example, L-P-L, O-P-La, and O-P-P are also presented in human milk with content more than 2% (8).…”