Enzymatically interesterified hybrid palm stearin as an alternative to conventional palm stearin

In this study, enzymatic interesterification of hybrid palm stearin mixed with palm kernel oil (HPS/PKO, 70/30) was conducted to provide a new source of vegetable fat, which was compared with the traditional palm stearin blend (PS/PKO). The triacylglycerides results indicated that the enzyme (Lipozyme TL IM) hydrolyzed and esterified lauric, palmitic, and oleic acids. Further, the interesterification decreased the melting and crystallization temperatures by ≈2°C. Additionally, it allowed faster structuring and/or crystallization in both blends as indicated by high G’ values (3.6 × 107 Pa for PS/PKO and 1.3 × 107 Pa for HPS/PKO). Moreover, enzymatic interesterification promoted rapid stabilization of the number and size of HPS/PKO crystals. The results indicated that HPS/PKO is a healthier alternative to PS/PKO with regard to the proportion of unsaturated fatty acids. Finally, the rheological and microstructure analyses suggested that HPS/PKO enzymatically interesterified is a promising candidate for utilization in various fatty products.