Structured lipids: Synthesis and applications

Structured lipids (SL) are defined as triacylglycerols (TAG) restructured or modified to change the fatty acid composition and/or their positional distribution in glycerol molecules by chemical or enzymatic processes. SL may provide the most effective means of delivering desired fatty acids for nutritive or therapeutic purposes. In this review, the synthesis and applications of structured lipids, nutritional/clinical aspects of fatty acids, immobilization, and characteristics of lipases are discussed. WHAT ARE STRUCTURED LIPIDS? Structured lipids (SL) can be defined as triacylglycerols (TAG) restructured or modified to change the fatty acid composition and/or their positional distribution in glycerol molecules by chemical or enzymatic processes. SL may provide the most effective means of delivering desired fatty acids for nutritive or therapeutic purposes, targeting specific diseases and metabolic conditions (1). SL can also be synthesized to improve or change the physical and/or chemical characteristics of *To whom correspondence should be addressed.