Optimization by full factorial design of the emulsifying properties of ethanol insoluble fraction from rapeseed lecithinRapeseed lecithin ethanol insoluble fraction (LEIF), was acetylated and optimum conditions for improving LEIF emulsifying property were determined. The effects of reaction time, pyridine amount and temperature on phosphatidyl ethanolamine conversion degree (PECD) and emulsion stability index (ESI) have been described in the form of regression equations. A full factorial design method was used. Regression equations for the maximum value of response functions and computation results were calculated and compared with those obtained in control experiments. Acetylation of rapeseed LEIF with the use of calculated optimal parameters led to 35% and 60% increments in PECD and ESI, respectively.Keywords: Rapeseed lecithin, full factorial design, optimizing of lecithin functionality, N-acetylphosphatidyl ethanolamine, lecithin emulsifying properties.Correspondence: Marian Sosada, Chair and Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Silesian Medical University, ul. Jagiellońska 4, 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland. Phone: +48-32-2925548, Fax: +48-32-2667860; e-mail: msosada@slam. katowice.pl were obtained from Sigma (St. Louis, MO, USA). All other solvents and reagents were of analytical grade.
Phospholipid acetylationTheoretically, when lecithin acetylation is carried out in the presence of tertiary amine, approximately one mole of acetic anhydride per mole of free amino groups in lecithin is adequate. However, for acetylation in the absence of tertiary amine, a larger quantity is required. Acetylation of plant lecithin is generally carried out with 2-5% addition of acetic anhydride. The amount of acetylating agent depends on PE content of the starting material [3,9,13]. Taking the PE content in rapeseed LEIF into consideration, 50 mmol of acetic anhydride per 100 g LEIF (1.47 mol acetic anhydride per mol PE) was used in acetylation experiments. This amount was maintained in all experiments.A sample of rapeseed LEIF (10 g) and acetone (30 ml) were introduced into a flask fitted with a stirrer and reflux condenser, and placed in an ultrathermostat. Acetic anhydride (50 mmol) and an appropriate amount of pyridine (10-30 mmol/100 g) were added at temperatures between 10 to 40 °C in individual trials (Tab. 1 and 2). Each run of LEIF acetylation was carried out for the set of parameters described in the experimental matrix (Tab. 2). In this matrix, values +1 and -1 correspond to high and low level reaction time, temperature and pyridine amounts, respectively. After the reaction was complete (time 10-50 min, Tab. 2), the final mixture was immediately cooled and acetone, excess acetic anhydride and pyridine, and acetic acid generated during acetylation were quickly removed by distillation under reduced pressure (40 °C, 13.3 hPa). The solid mixture was vigorously stirred with acetone (50 ml) and the precipitate of finely divided solid was filtered through a sintered glass funnel under the vacuum of a water pump, washed t...