Thermal properties of monoglycerides from Nephelium lappaceum L. oil, as a natural source of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids
Résumé
The present paper studied the transformations of reserve lipids (RLs) of the species Nephelium lappaceum Linn (N. Lappaceum). The triacylglycerols (TAGs) in this species are composed of C18:1, C20:0, and C20:1 fatty acids (FAs). The transition from native triglycerides to pure monoglycerides (MGs) was explored. It has been shown how the physical and physicochemical properties of MGs were influenced by the effect of the FA composition, consisting of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. In organic process, the first step was lipase-catalyzed hydrolysis of native triglycerides. The second step was the chemically catalyzed esterification of hydrolyzed free fatty acids into MGs. Both steps were carried out in organized media used as microreactors. These transformations increased the melting temperatures from 22 °C to 51 °C and decreased the crystallization temperature from 22 °C to ?1 °C, from long-chain TAGs to MGs (C20:0 and C20:1). By monitoring the saturated/unsaturated FA ratio in the lipotransformation into MGs, it was possible to control the composition of binary and ternary mixtures and, therefore, control the physical and physicochemical properties of the systems. This may be very useful for applications in the food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals industries.