Process for the preparation of materials with a high content of conjugated long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids

Abstract

A process for preparing a material B comprising geometrical isomers L,and L,of conjugated linoleic acid moieties in a specific weight ratio of X,wherein a material A selected from free fatty acids, mono-, di- or tri-glycerides, phospholipids, alkyl esters or wax-esters containing at least 5 weight % of L,and L,are subjected to enzymatic conversion using an enzyme that can discriminate between L,and L,so that the original weight ratio of L,to L,of X,in the starting material is increased to X,where X,is equal to or greater than 1.1 X,. Advantageously, the isomers L,and L,are cis,, trans,and trans,, cis,linoleic acid or vice versa. The enzyme is advantageously a lipase obtained from,or,or a phospholipase. The starting material A may be, for example, a fish oil or vegetable oil. The resulting products may be blended with a complementary fat and may be used as foods or food supplements or in pharmaceutical compositions.