Sunflower Lecithin: Application of a Fractionation Process with Absolute Ethanol

• Published in: Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society Vol. 86; no. 2; pp. 189 - 196
• Main Authors: Cabezas, D. M, Diehl, B. W. K, Tomás, M. C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Berlin/Heidelberg : Springer-Verlag 01.02.2009; Springer-Verlag; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: 31P NMR; Agriculture; Biological and medical sciences; Biomaterials; Biotechnology; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Ethanol; Ethanol fractionation; Fat industries; Food industries; Food Science; Fractionation; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genetically modified organisms; Helianthus annuus; Industrial Chemistry/Chemical Engineering; lecithin; Mathematical models; Non GMO product; Original Paper; Phosphatidylcholine; phosphatidylcholines; Phosphatidylethanolamine; phosphatidylethanolamines; Phosphatidylinositol; phosphatidylinositols; phospholipids; Standard deviation; Studies; Sunflower lecithin; Ethanol fractionation; Phosphatidylinositol; Phosphatidylethanolamine; P NMR; Phosphatidylcholine; Non GMO product; Sunflower lecithin; Oils and fats industry; Fractionation; Ethanol; 31P NMR; Genetically modified organism; Sunflower
• ISSN: 0003-021X; 1558-9331
• DOI: 10.1007/s11746-008-1336-5

Native or modified lecithins are widely used as a multifunctional ingredient in the food industry. A fractionation process of sunflower lecithin (a non GMO product) with absolute ethanol was used for obtaining enriched fractions in certain phospholipids under different experimental conditions (temperature 35-65 °C, time of fractionation 30-90 min, ethanol/lecithin ratio 2:1, 3:1). Phospholipid enrichment in PC and PI fractions was obtained and analyzed by ³¹P NMR determinations. The percent extraction coefficients for different phospholipids (%EPC, %EPE and %EPI) in both fractions were calculated. Values of %EPC in PC fractions significantly increased (p < 0.05) from 12.8 (35 °C, 30 min, 2:1) to 57.7 (65 °C, 90 min, 3:1) at increasing temperature and incubation time. %EPE varied from 3.0 to 18.3 in the same fraction while %EPI presented lower values (<3%) under all the conditions assayed. The study of the effect of the operating conditions on the fractionation process evidenced a relevant influence of temperature, incubation time and to a minor extent of the ethanol/lecithin ratio on the enriched fraction yield% and selectivity of the main phospholipids (PC, PI, PE) estimated by %EPL. Response surface methodology (RSM) was utilized to explain the influence of the different parameters to optimize this process.