Phospholipid Technology and Applications

Phospholipids are an important group of lipids with major areas of interest in biology, biochemistry and medicine, and also in science and technology. It is the latter that are emphasized in this book. The major source of phospholipids is the lecithin recovered during degumming of vegetable oils, particularly soybean oil. This crude material finds uses in its own right, but it can be purified through a series of processes that eventually lead to individual phospholipid classes such as the phosphatidylcholines.

It is widely accepted that oil and water do not mix, but there are several areas in science and technology where these two distinct phases must coexist in stable emulsions. This is achieved by admixture of amphiphilic molecules of which the phospholipids are important natural examples produced commercially at levels in excess of 250,000 tonnes per year. This property has been known for a long time by cooks who, while knowing little about lipid structure or amphiphilic systems, nevertheless recognized the importance of eggs (a rich source of phospholipids) in their recipes.

Today phospholipids find many uses in the food industry and in other industries that exploit the amphiphilic nature of these compounds. Further, there are now important procedures by which the amphiphilicity can be optimized for different uses.

The early chapters in this book are devoted to the more common glycerol-based phospholipids and cover their structure, source, composition, modification by chemical and enzymatic methods, their physical, chemical, and nutritional properties, and their major uses. The final chapter is devoted to another kind of phospholipid – the sphingolipids – in which there is a growing interest.

With its emphasis on science and technology, this book should be of special value to those in the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries.

I thank all those who have contributed to this book, especially Michael Schneider who collaborated with the editor and publisher in its early stages in developing the topics to be covered and suggested persons, some of whom became part of the writing team.

All the authors join with the editor in thanking Frances Daniel who has used her experience in copy editing to improve the appearance of these eight chapters and make them into a useful book.

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Laurence Eyres writing in Food in New Zealand (p.49, April/May 2009 issue, NZIFST magazine) and in Oils and Fats News (April/May 2009, online newsletter of the NZ Institute of Chemistry Oils & Fats Group, www.foodworks.co.nz/oilsfats)

This is book number 22 in a series of pertinent, well-written and informative books from the Oily press (see website). It consists of eight chapters, 200 pages of text and a host of vital references. The 14 contributors are leaders in their respective fields.

The book is edited by the world respected eminence of the oils and fats world, Professor Frank Gunstone and this shows in the overall quality of the book.

In his preface to the book Professor Gunstone writes "Phospholipids are an important group of lipids with major areas of interest in biology, biochemistry and medicine, and also in science and technology. It is the latter that are emphasized in this book. The major source of phospholipids is the lecithin recovered during degumming of vegetable oils, particularly soybean oil. This crude material finds uses in its own right, but it can be purified through a series of processes that eventually lead to individual phospholipid classes such as the phosphatidylcholines."

"It is widely accepted that oil and water do not mix, but there are several areas in science and technology where these two distinct phases must coexist in stable emulsions. This is achieved by admixture of amphiphilic molecules of which the phospholipids are important natural examples produced commercially at levels in excess of 250,000 tonnes per year. This property has been known for a long time by cooks who, while knowing little about lipid structure or amphiphilic systems, nevertheless recognized the importance of eggs (a rich source of phospholipids) in their recipes. Today phospholipids find many uses in the food industry and in other industries that exploit the amphiphilic nature of these compounds."

"The early chapters in this book are devoted to the more common glycerol-based phospholipids and cover their structure, source, composition, modification by chemical and enzymatic methods, their physical, chemical, and nutritional properties, and their major uses. The final chapter is devoted to another kind of phospholipid – the sphingolipids – in which there is increasing global interest."

"With its emphasis on science and technology, this book should be of special value to those in the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries."

Most of us in the food industry are well aware of lecithin and its uses and those of us familiar with health food stores have seen lecithin products and read about the health aspects. This book does an excellent job of combining knowledge about both sectors of interest, namely the food industry and the health products industry.

The book can be divided based on two typical, functional uses for phospholipids. The first addresses biological, health, and medical functions.

The chemical structure and biological functions of phospholipids (PL) are explained clearly and succinctly in Chapter 1. This is a complex subject presented in a clear and informative fashion.

The medical applications of PL are handled in Chapter 7 entitled `Clinical and nutritional properties of PL'. It is a short but informative chapter on the roles of PL in nutrition, health, and cell signal transmission, with numerous interesting literature references.

An excellent overview on sphingolipids is presented in Chapter 8. These functional PL in milk may become novel functional ingredients as metabolic agents in infant and health foods and medical therapies. Our own dairy industry, particularly Fonterra, should find these chapters of immense interest. The second portion of the book addresses technical functionality, sourcing, and production.

In Chapter 2, a good review of the major sources, composition, and processing of vegetable and animal lecithins is well presented. Chapter 3 is on the enzymatic modification of PL and related polar lipids The detail in this chapter is sufficient to fire up any number of postgraduate Chemistry and Food Science students. The short Chapter 6 on chemical modification also is invaluable for providing the reader with good information about acetylation- and hydroxylation-processed lecithin and the technical uses for these types of lecithins.

Chapter 5 on physical properties covers the fundamental knowledge on the physical structure of PL at interfaces in emulsions, phase behaviour of single PL, and mixtures with cholesterol and medium-chain monoacylglycerols in aqueous systems. In dispersed systems, the formation of liposomes, reversed vesicles, and emulsions are well discussed, ending with the phospholipid organization in biomembranes. This chapter is a must for people working on emulsions both practically and in the research field.

This book is highly recommended for technologists in the food industry, for students, technicians, and scientists working with phospholipids or other surfactants in food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic applications. It is also important for biochemists and biologists with an interest in biomembranes and phospholipids in human health and functional foods.

Willem van Nieuwenhuyzen, director of Lecipro Consulting, Limmen, The Netherlands, writing in the January 2009 issue of Inform (2009, Vol.20, No.1, p.45)....

This 200-page book was published as Volume 22 in the Oily Press Lipid Library. The editor [Frank D. Gunstone] selected, with the support of lecithin expert Michael Schneider, 13 professionals to edit the book's eight chapters. The book contains excellent discussions on a combination of topics including sourcing, production, and modification of traditional soy lecithins, the fundamental physical properties of phospholipids, the technical emulsifying functions, and the biological functions of vegetable phospholipids and sphingolipids.

The book can be divided based on two typical, functional uses for phospholipids. The first addresses biological, health, and medical functions.

Tong Wang of Iowa State University(Ames, USA) presents the chemical structure and biological functions of phospholipids (PL) in Chapter 1. Many biological and medical topics are thoroughly reviewed in the text, including: phosphatidylcholine as a good source of choline in homocysteine metabolism, vascular disease, memory, and brain function; PL oxidation as related to aging and as an antioxidant with respect to membrane aging; the roles of cardiolipin,an anionic PL, in blood coagulation and thrombosis; and sphingomyelin and its cellular functions.

Over 60 recent literature references are cited. Whereas Wang describes, as a preliminary topic, the properties of PL in biological cell functions, the medical applications of PL are handled by Asim K. Duttaroy of the University of Oslo, Norway, in Chapter 7 entitled `Clinical and nutritional properties of PL'. It is a short but informative chapter on the roles of PL in nutrition, health, and cell signal transmission,with numerous interesting literature references.

Åke Nilsson of Lund University, Lund, Sweden, provides an excellent overview on sphingolipids in Chapter 8. These functional PL in milk may become novel functional ingredients as metabolic agents in infant and health foods and medical therapies. The current evidence on cell growth control and tumour prevention may require additional human studies for further substantiation. This impressive chapter includes approximately 100 literature references.

The second portion of the book addresses technical functionality, sourcing,and production.

In Chapter 2, Michael Schneider provides a good review of the major sources, composition, and processing of vegetable and animal lecithins. This global review of past and current practices is a clear survey of the ins and outs of current technical plant-scale operations and is a good basis for reading the other chapters.

Chapter 3 is on the enzymatic modification of PL and related polar lipids by Xuebing Xu of the University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark; Anders Falk Vikbjerg of LiPlasome Pharma, Lyngby, Denmark; and three colleagues at the Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby. Although plant-scale lecithin hydrolysis by phospholipase enzymes has been done for decades, this group of scientists describes impressively the details of hydrolysis and re-esterification of PL with other targeted healthful fatty acids, making use of the optimal activity of novel lipases and phospholipases. In 40 pages, the scientific and future plant-scale processing potentials are presented in a fascinating manner.

The short Chapter 6 on chemical modification by Alice Bonekamp of ADM Europe in Germany also is invaluable for providing the reader with good information about acetylation- and hydroxylation-processed lecithin and the technical uses for these types of lecithins.

Ernesto Hernandez of Omega Protein,Houston, Texas, USA, and Nathalie Quezada of Texas A&M University, College Station,Texas, USA, report in Chapter 4 about the uses of PL as functional ingredients in foods, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics applications. I would have preferred more facts about the `scientific why' of the use and the unique PL properties in food applications. The chapter may be of interest for the layman as a first introduction with practical examples, but it did not contain any new information for me.

Chapter 5 on physical properties of PL by Anders Carlsson of MediGellum AB, Stockholm, Sweden, covers the fundamental knowledge on the physical structure of PL at interfaces in emulsions, phase behaviour of single PL, and mixtures with cholesterol and medium-chain monoacylglycerols in aqueous systems. In dispersed systems,the formation of liposomes, reversed vesicles, and emulsions are well discussed,ending with the phospholipid organization in biomembranes. This extensive, 40-page chapter is well worth the time needed to study it in depth for all scientists working with PL in emulsion systems.

This book is a must for students, technicians,and scientists working with PL or other surfactants in food, pharmaceutical,and cosmetic applications. It is also important for biochemists and biologists with an interest in biomembranes and phospholipid functionality in plant, animal, and human cells and bodies. I think that all oil and oilseed scientists would learn much from this book relevant to their own disciplines. The book is unique with an invaluable treasure of literature references.

I hope that many individuals from academic, scientific, and industrial sectors will reward the entrepreneurial courage of publisher Peter Barnes by purchasing this excellent text. Clearly, the authors have invested a substantial amount of effort and time to make this book a very valuable source on lecithin. Well done.

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Books on oils, fats and other lipids published by PJ Barnes & Associates

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PHOSPHOLIPID TECHNOLOGY AND APPLICATIONS

In his Preface to Phospholipid Technology and Applications, the editor, Frank D. Gunstone, says:

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