Enzymatic oil-degumming by a novel microbial phospholipase

Phospholipase A-mediated oil-degumming is a well-established process step (EnzyMax(R)) in physical refining of vegetable oils (rape seed, soy bean, sunflower seed). A screening programme for microbial phospholipases of type A has been carried out. The target has been to develop a stable and robust phospholipase with optimal oil-degumming performance in the pH-range 4-5 and in the temperature range 30-70 degreesC. One phospholipase of type Al from Fusarium oxysporum, given the trade name Lecitase(R) Novo, has been studied in detail. Some of the characteristics of this novel microbial phospholipase in the oil-degumming application are: pH optimum similar to5, temperature optimum 40-45 degreesC. In laboratory tests the new phospholipase Lecitase(R) Novo has proven to be superior to porcine pancreatic Lecitase(R) 10L and other phospholipases with respect to oil-degumming performance, and it has proven to be suited for degumming of different oil qualities ranging from water-degummed to crude oil. A further advantage is that the new phospholipase acts at very low water content, which will make the problematic sludge recycling in the EnzyMax(R) process superfluous. As demonstrated by an HPLC study, phospholipase-mediated degumming is a unique process quite distinct from the well-known acid degumming variations, since the phospholipids (both hydratable and non-hydratable) present in the oil are hydrolysed to the corresponding lyso-phospholipids, which migrate to the aqueous phase under the conditions employed. Lecitase(R) Novo was introduced successfully for degumming of rapeseed oil at Cereol (Mannheim, Germany) mid 2000.