ARS | Publication request: Feruloylated vegetable oils: synthesis and applications of UV-absorbing/antioxidative lipids

Submitted to: American Chemical Society Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: January 8, 2007
Publication Date: March 29, 2007
Citation: Compton, D.L., Laszlo, J.A. 2007. Feruloylated vegetable oils: synthesis and applications of UV-absorbing/antioxidative lipids [abstract]. American Chemical Society. Abstract No. AGFD 153.

Technical Abstract: In an effort to produce higher value uses for vegetable oils, we have developed an environmentally “green” process to transesterify soybean oil with the phenylpropanoid, ferulic acid. Ferulic acid is a natural plant component that absorbs light within the UVB and UVA regions (290 to 370 nm) and possesses an antioxidative efficacy similar to tocopherol. The packed bed synthesis involved passing a solution of ferulic acid ethyl ester in soybean oil over an enzyme bed of Novozyme 435 (Candida antartica lipase B immobilized on an acrylic resin) at 60 deg C. The pilot plant scale synthesis resulted in a 60% transesterification of the ferulic acid ethyl ester in 168 h. The enzyme bed was shown to lose 15% activity over the course of eight weeks, but was restored to near full activity after two volume washes with soybean oil. Applications and commercialization of the patented feruloylated lipids will be discussed.