Characterisation and oxidation stability of monoacylglycerols from partially hydrogenated corn oil

Abstract

This study reported the characterisation of some types of monoacylglycerols (MAGs) obtained by the glycerolysis of different partially hydrogenated corn oils (PHCOs) catalysed by Al2O3 loaded with K2CO3 (K2CO3/Al2O3) under the previous selected conditions. A two-stage molecular distillation method of purifying the MAGs was introduced, and the obtained MAG products were more than 90.0 wt.% pure. The fatty acid composition of corn oil significantly changed after hydrogenation sequentially catalysed by Pricat™ Ni catalysts (9908 Ni/kieselguhr and 9920 Ni/Al2O3). The PHCO samples generated typical structures with β'-form crystals. Moreover, the melting regions of all hydrogenated samples and their MAGs shifted to higher temperatures. The oxidation stability of MAGs has been significantly increased using hydrogenation to change the fatty acid composition.

Keywords: Corn oil; Hydrogenation; Molecular distillation; Monoacylglycerol.