Specific-structured lipids: nutritional perspectives and production potentials

Structured lipids are referring to any triacylglycerols containing both long chain fatty acids (mostly essential fatty acids) and medium or short chain fatty acids. In case of specific-structured lipids (SSLs), each group of fatty acids locates specifically at sn-2 or -1.3 positions of the glycerol backbone.

Recently the nutritional perspectives of this kind of lipids attract many interests. This causes an increasing interest in the production of them by lipase-catalyzed interesterification. One of the advantages of lipase method over chemical ones is that SSLs can be produced with particular fatty acids in specific position(s) to target specific diseases, metabolic conditions and for optimal nutrition for particular population groups.

In this article, the nutritional perspectives of SSLs are reviewed and the production process by lipase-catalyzed interesterification is evaluated.