Modification of lecithin-based emulsions with phospholipases

Phospholipases have been used in different food processes, but mainly on degumming vegetable oils. More recently, the use of these enzymes has been extended to the manufacture of bread and dairy products. However, little is known on phospholipases effect on lecithin-based emulsions and how the emulsion size contributes to such effect. This work aimed to explore the effect of phospholipase type A1 (PLA1) on lecithin-based emulsions with different droplet size distribution. The PLA1 was able to hydrolyze lecithin phospholipids aggregated in (oil-in-water) emulsions, generating different lysophospholipids. The larger the particle size in the emulsion, the higher the enzymatic activity of PLA1. According to theoretical calculations, the lysophospholipids had higher hydrophile-lipophile balance (HLB) and had a lower critical packing parameter (p) than phospholipids. In consequence, the emulsions having more lysophospholipids were more prone to flocculate and to coalescence.