The Influence of Interesterification on the Thermal and Technological Properties of Milkfat-Rapeseed Oil Mixture and Its Potential Use in Incorporation of Model Meat Batters

Enzymatic interesterification gives the possibility to obtain a wide range of lipids with a modified structure. In the present study, model meat batters were produced from chicken breast muscles and enzymatically interesterified fats: milkfat:rapeseed oil (3:2 w/w). Fatty acids composition and their positional distribution in triacylglycerol, melting profile and oxidative stability have been determined in fats used for interesterification, after interesterification and extracted from meat batters. In meat batters, the physiochemical parameters were determined. Interesterified fats were characterized by significantly lower induction times than noninteresterified fat (85.29 and 18.21 min, respectively). Meat batters were also characterized by a lower oxidative stability of lipid fraction (24.90 and 13.67 min) than lipids used to their production. A higher content of unsaturated fatty acids was found in meat batters with noninteresterified and interesterified fats (69.40% and 70.03%, respectively) than in the control meat batter with a pork jowl (58.63%). In comparison to the control product, meat batter prepared with interesterified mixture was characterized by significantly lower apparent viscosity. In the analyzed meat batters, there were no differences in thermal drip and penetration force. The incorporation of interesterified milkfat with rapeseed oil in model meat batters can be a strategy to improve the nutritional quality without adversely affecting the quality characteristics.

Interesterified Fats Induce Deleterious Effects on Adipose Tissue and Liver in LDLr-KO Mice

Interesterified fats are being widely used by the food industry in an attempt to replace trans fatty acids. The effect of interesterified fats containing palmitic or stearic acids on lipid metabolism and inflammatory signaling pathways in adipose and hepatic tissues was evaluated. Male LDLr-KO mice were fed a high-fat diet containing polyunsaturated (PUFA), palmitic (PALM), palmitic interesterified (PALM INTER), stearic (STEAR), or stearic interesterified (STEAR INTER) fats for 16 weeks. The expression of genes and protein levels involved in lipid metabolism and inflammatory processes in liver and white adipose tissue was determined by quantitative RT-PCR and by Western blot, respectively. The infiltration of inflammatory cells in hepatic and adipose tissues was determined by eosin and hematoxylin, while liver collagen content was determined by Sirius Red staining. Both interesterified fats increased liver collagen content and JNK phosphorylation. Additionally, the STEAR INTER group developed nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) associated with higher neutrophil infiltration. PALM INTER induced adipose tissue expansion and enlargement of adipocytes. Furthermore, PALM INTER triggered increased IKK phosphorylation and TNFα protein content, conditions associated with the upstream activation of the NFkB signaling pathway. STEAR INTER induced NASH, while PALM INTER triggered hepatic fibrosis and adipocyte hypertrophy with inflammatory response in LDLr-KO mice.

Perspective: interesterified triglycerides, the recent increase in deaths from heart disease, and elevated blood viscosity

The authors hypothesize that consumption of interesterified fats may be the cause of the continuous increase in cardiovascular deaths in the United States which began in 2011. Interesterification is a method of producing solid fats from vegetable oil and began to supplant partial hydrogenation for this purpose upon recognition of the danger of trans fats to cardiovascular health. Long, straight carbon chains, as are present in saturated and trans fatty acids, decrease the fluidity of the erythrocyte cell membrane, which decreases erythrocyte deformability and increases blood viscosity. This decrease in cell membrane fluidity is caused by increased van der Waals interactions, which also solidify dietary fats. Elevated blood viscosity is favored as the pathogenic mechanism by which trans fats increase cardiovascular mortality because changes in lipoprotein levels do not account for all the mortality attributable to their consumption. The rapid changes in cardiovascular mortality noted with the introduction and withdrawal of trans fats from the food supply are reviewed. The evidence implicating elevated blood viscosity in cardiovascular disease is also reviewed. Data regarding the production and consumption of interesterified fats in the US should be released in order to determine if there is an association with the observed increase in cardiovascular deaths.