In an attempt to concentrate the content of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) in the residual acylglycerol, salmon oil (n-3 PUFA content of 30.1%) was hydrolyzed with three kinds of native microbial lipases (Aspergillus niger, Rhizopus javanicus and Penicillium solitum). For each lipase, a response surface methodology was used to obtain maximum PUFA content and to optimize the parameters of enzymatic reactions with respect to important reaction variables; temperature (X1), amount of lipases (X2) and water/oil ratio (X3). Based on these results, optimal reaction conditions were established. Aspergillus niger lipase was the most effective in concentrating n-3 PUFA. The degree of hydrolysis (60%) led to an increase in the docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) content from 14.4% in the original oil to 34.0% (2.4-fold enrichment) in the residual acylglycerol under optimum conditions: enzyme concentration of 500 U g-1 oil, reaction temperature of 45 ºC and water/oil mass rate of 2:1 (m/m) after 24 h reaction.
polyunsaturated fatty acid; enzymatic hydrolysis; lipases; hydrolysis degree; experimental design; salmon oil
