Simões, TiagoFerreira, JessicaLemos, Marco F.L.Augusto, AnaFélix, RafaelSilva, Susana F.J.Ferreira-Dias, SuzanaTecelão, Carla2021-12-032021-12-032021Simões, T.; Ferreira, J.; Lemos, M.F.L.; Augusto, A.; Félix, R.; Silva, S.F.J.; Ferreira-Dias, S.; Tecelão, C. Argan Oil as a Rich Source of Linoleic Fatty Acid for Dietetic Structured Lipids Production. Life 2021, 11, 1114http://hdl.handle.net/10400.5/22616Argan oil is rich in long-chain unsaturated fatty acids (FA), mostly oleic and linoleic, and natural antioxidants. This study addresses the production of low-calorie structured lipids by acidolysis reaction, in a solvent-free system, between caprylic (C8:0; system I) or capric (C10:0; system II) acids and argan oil, used as triacylglycerol (TAG) source. Three commercial immobilized lipases were tested: Novozym® 435, Lipozyme® TL IM, and Lipozyme® RM IM. Higher incorporation degree (ID) was achieved when C10:0 was used as acyl donor, for all the lipases tested. Lipozyme® RM IM yielded the highest ID for both systems (28.9 º 0.05 mol.% C10:0, and 11.4 2.2 mol.% C8:0), being the only catalyst able to incorporate C8:0 under the reaction conditions for biocatalyst screening (molar ratio 2:1 FA/TAG and 55 ºC). The optimal conditions for Lipozyme® RM IM in system II were found by response surface methodology (66 ºC; molar ratio FA/TAG of 4:1), enabling to reach an ID of 40.9 mol.% of C10:0. Operational stability of Lipozyme® RM IM in system II was also evaluated under optimal conditions, after eight consecutive 24 h-batches, with biocatalyst rehydration between cycles. The biocatalyst presented a half-life time of 103 hengArgania spinosa oilcapric acidcaprylic acidcommercial immobilized lipaseslow-calorie structured lipidsjournal articlehttps://doi.org/ 10.3390/life11111114