Lipase‐catalyzed preparation of deacidified Buah Merah (Pandanus conoideus) oil

Abstract

Buah Merah oil (BMO) is unrefined edible oil containing a high level of free fatty acids (FFA; ∼30% w/w). This study was aimed at preparing deacidified BMO from BMO via lipase-catalyzed esterification of FFA in BMO with added glycerol, using Duolite A568-immobilized Eversa Transform 2.0 (Thermomyces lanuginosus lipase) as biocatalyst. BMO containing 2.4% w/w FFA and 94.6% w/w triacylglycerol was obtained under optimal reaction conditions (temperature, 70 • C; FFA-to-glycerol molar ratio, 3:1; enzyme loading based on the protein quantity, 3.75 mg/g BMO, and reaction time, 48 h). No significant difference was found in the contents of β-carotene, tocopherols, and phytosterols between raw and deacidified BMO. The induction period of oxidation was significantly longer in deacidified BMO (16.37 h) than in raw BMO (0.03 h). These results suggest that deacidified BMO could be enzymatically prepared without the loss of health-beneficial minor components while enhancing the oxidative stability.