Lipase-catalyzed transesterification of phosphatidylcholine at controlled water activity

The incorporation of a free fatty acid into the sn-1 position of phosphatidylcholine by lipase-catalyzed transesterification was investigated. The thermodynamic water activity of both the enzyme preparation and the substrate solution was adjusted to the same value prior to the reaction. The reaction rate increased with increasing water activity but the yield of modified phosphatidylcholine decreased due to hydrolysis. By using a large excess of the free fatty acid (heptadecanoic acid), the hydrolysis reaction was slowed down, so a higher yield was obtained at a given degree of incorporation. The best results were obtained with Rhizopus arrhizus lipase immobilized by adsorption on a polypropylene support. With this preparation, a yield of 60% and nearly 50% incorporation of heptadecanoic acid (100% incorporation in the sn-1 position) was obtained at a water activity of 0.064. The enzyme preparation had good operational stability and position specificity. Little incorporation (<1%) was observed in the sn-2 position, when almost all the fatty acid in the sn-1 position was exchanged.