Recombinant Lipoxygenases and Oxylipin Metabolism in Relation to Food Quality

Lipoxygenases catalyze the conversion of polyunsaturated fatty acids into hydroperoxides, that are in turn converted to oxylipins, which play important roles in defence reactions in plants and animals. This review describes the distribution of lipoxygenases in Nature, their diversity in terms of structure and catalytic activity, and their significance for food biotechnology. The last includes the production of flavors and aromas, the destruction of vitamins, pigments and other anti-oxidants, the improvement of dough rheology during baking, and the potential of recombinant lipoxygenases, and other enzymes of oxylipin metabolism, for food biotechnology.