The Production, Benefits, and Applications of Monoacylglycerols and Diacylglycerols of Nutritional Interest

In light of the increasing interest in the development of functional food, several researches have focused on the production of food grade emulsifiers of nutritional interest, especially enriched in the eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acids (DHA). The aim of this paper is to make a review of the production of monoacylglycerols (MAG) and diacylglycerols (DAG) obtained from different feedstock, mainly fish oil. A section of this paper is dedicated to the raw materials used as feedstock for these emulsifiers production. The health benefits of these partial acylglycerols are outlined. The chemical and enzymatic methods for producing these esters of glycerol are discussed, focusing on glycerolysis reactions. Recent advances on the lipase-catalyzed production of these partial acylglycerols in alternative reaction media and systems are also reviewed.