Enzymatic biosynthesis, characterization, and antioxidant properties of ω-3 fatty acid-based structured phospholipids

ω-3 fatty acids play essential physiological functions in the body. Most commercial ω-3 fatty acids are ethyl esters, which have lower bioavailability and stability than phospholipid-bound forms. This study aimed to synthesize structured phospholipids enriched with ω-3 fatty acids (ω-3-PLs) using a solvent-free system via enzymatic approach. Algal oil enriched with ω-3 fatty acids was interesterified with soybean phospholipid using phospholipase A1 (PLA1). Under optimized conditions of substrate mass ratio of 1:8 (w/w), 0.4 % water, 2.5 % enzyme loading, 65 °C reaction temperature, and 12-h reaction time, a 41.54 % incorporation rate of ω-3 fatty acids into PLs was achieved. The synthesized ω-3-PLs were characterized via ³¹P NMR, GC-FID, UV, XRD, FT-IR, and TGA and their antioxidant activity and oxidative stability were also evaluated. Results demonstrated enhanced oxidative stability and significant antioxidant potential of ω-3-PLs, supporting the potential application of ω-3-PLs in functional foods and nutraceuticals.