ESTERIFICATION OF POLYUNSATURATED FATTY-ACIDS WITH LIPASES FROM DIFFERENT SOURCES

Enzymatically catalyzed esterification between glycerol and polyunsatu rated fatty acids were studied for six lipases of different biological origin. Most efficient was lipase from Mucor miehei (yeast) and Chrom obacterium viscosum (bacterium) which incorporated free fatty acids in the glycerol to 75% and 80%, respectively. Both lipases showed a slig ht preference for oleic acid. M. miehei lipase incorporated eicosapent aenoic acid at the same level as the acid occurred in the free fatty a cid fraction while C. viscosum lipase incorporated the acid at a lesse r level. Both lipases esterfied less docosahexaenoic acid.