Monitoring batch lipase catalyzed interesterification of palm oil and fractions by differential scanning calorimetry

The melting profiles of palm oil, palm olein, and soft palm mid fraction were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) before, during and after enzymatic interesterification. The DSC melting profiles of the three palm fats changed drastically due to the random redistribution of the fatty acids on the glycerol occurring upon interesterification. A high melting peak (already present for native palm oil) was observed for the three interesterified products and attributed to the increase in trisaturated triacylglycerols; modifications of the shape of the medium-melting peak (observed in the three products) were attributed to modifications within the mono-unsaturated triacylglycerols. In view of the drastic changes observed, the applicability of DSC to monitor enzymatic interesterification reactions was considered. While the degree of interesterification was supposed to be completed after 8 h according to the HPLC data, significant modifications were still observed within the DSC melting profiles. Minor changes within the structure of the medium-melting peak were selected as indicator of the reaction progress, and it was shown that intensities of DSC melting endotherms can be used to monitor the enzymatic interesterification reaction of these palm products.