Lipid composition and emulsifying properties of canola lecithin from degumming with phospholipase A2 and its ethanolic fractions

• The lecithin recovered contained an appreciable amount of lysophospholipids.
• The ethanol soluble fraction of the lecithin was rich in lysophosphatidylcholine.
• The lecithin and its fractions were superior to soy lecithin as o/w emulsifiers.

Recovery and chemical properties of lecithin from enzymatic degumming of vegetable oils with phospholipase A2 (PLA2) have not been reported to date. The aim of this study was to investigate the lipid composition and o/w emulsifying properties of lecithin obtained from degumming of crude canola oil with PLA2 (CLP) and its ethanolic fractions, in order to exploit their potential applications in industry. Phosphatidylinositol + phosphatidic acid + lysophosphatidylinositol (30.56 g/100 g), lysophosphatidylcholine (17.41 g/100 g) and phosphatidylcholine (10.17 g/100 g) were the three major lipid groups found in CLP. The ethanol soluble and insoluble fractions of CLP contained lysophosphatidylcholine (45.25 g/100 g) and phosphatidylinositol + phosphatidic acid + lysophosphatidylinositol (31.41 g/100 g) as the most abundant lipid group, respectively. CLP and its ethanolic fractions were superior to a commercial soy lecithin as o/w emulsifiers under the conditions investigated. This study demonstrated that the ethanol soluble fraction of CLP, which contained an abundant amount of lysophosphatidylcholine, would be an ideal starting material for lysophosphatidylcholine recovery, and CLP and its ethanolic fractions can be utilized as o/w emulsifiers.