Biocatalyzed modifications of milk lipids: applications and potentialities

Biocatalyzed modifications of bovine milk triacylglycerols and polar lipids over the last 25 years, using exogenous commercial enzymes, are reviewed. Due to its mildness, biocatalysis is more adapted than chemical catalysis in order to tailor lipids with improved physical and nutritional properties or with new functionalities. Biocatalyzed modification of milk fat is becoming all the more attractive, as the number of efficient and specific commercial lipolytic enzymes is increasing. In addition to lipase-catalyzed hydrolysis of milk fat, several other applications, such as interesterification or phospholipase-catalyzed modifications are technically mature and very promising to diversify milk fat functionalities and uses.