Glycerolysis Explained

In organic chemistry glycerolysis refers to any process in which chemical bonds are broken via a reaction with glycerol. The term refers almost exclusively to the transesterification reaction of glycerol with triglycerides (fats/oils) to form mixtures of monoglycerides and diglycerides. These find a variety of uses; as food emulsifiers (e.g. E471), 'low fat' cooking oils (e.g. diacylglycerol oil) and surfactants (such as monolaurin).

The transesterification process gives a complex mixture of products, however not all of these are of equivalent use.^[1] This has led to the development of optimized processes able to produce better defined products; in particular by using enzymes,^[2] reactions in supercritical carbon dioxide and flow chemistry.^[3] The production of diglycerides (often called diacylglycerols or DAGs) have been investigated extensively due to their use in foods, with total annual sales of approximately US$200 million in Japan since its introduction in the late 1990s until 2009.^[4]

See also

• Hydrolysis
• Saponification
• Transesterification

Notes and References

1. Sonntag. Norman O. V.. Glycerolysis of fats and methyl esters — Status, review and critique. Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society. 59. 10. 1982. 795A–802A. 0003-021X. 10.1007/BF02634442.
2. Phuah. Eng-Tong. Tang. Teck-Kim. Lee. Yee-Ying. Choong. Thomas Shean-Yaw. Tan. Chin-Ping. Lai. Oi-Ming. Review on the Current State of Diacylglycerol Production Using Enzymatic Approach. Food and Bioprocess Technology. 8. 6. 2015. 1169–1186. 1935-5130. 10.1007/s11947-015-1505-0.
3. Junior. Ivaldo I.. Flores. Marcela C.. Sutili. Felipe K.. Leite. Selma G. F.. de M. Miranda. Leandro S.. Leal. Ivana C. R.. de Souza. Rodrigo O. M. A.. Lipase-Catalyzed Monostearin Synthesis under Continuous Flow Conditions. Organic Process Research & Development. 16. 5. 2012. 1098–1101. 1083-6160. 10.1021/op200132y.
4. Lo. Seong-Koon. Tan. Chin-Ping. Long. Kamariah. Yusoff. Mohd. Suria Affandi. Lai. Oi-Ming. Diacylglycerol Oil—Properties, Processes and Products: A Review. Food and Bioprocess Technology. 1. 3. 2008. 223–233. 1935-5130. 10.1007/s11947-007-0049-3.