An Improved Enzymatic Indirect Method for Simultaneous Determinations of 3-MCPD Esters and Glycidyl Esters in Fish Oils

Abstract

The enzymatic indirect method for simultaneous determinations of 3-chloro-1, 2-propanediol fatty acid esters (3-MCPD-Es) and glycidyl fatty acid esters (Gly-Es) make use of lipase from Candida cylindracea (previously referred to as C. rugosa). Because of low substrate specificity of the lipase for esters of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), fish oils high in PUFAs are currently excluded from the range of application of the method. The objective of this study was to make the enzymatic indirect method applicable to fats and oils containing PUFAs. By using a Burkholderia cepacia lipase, and by removing sodium bromide from hydrolysis step and adding it after completion of the hydrolysis step, satisfactory recovery rates of 91–109% for 3-MCPD, and 91–110% for glycidol (Gly) were obtained from an EPA and DHA concentrated sardine oil, three DHA concentrated tuna oils, two fish oils, and five fish-oil based dietary supplements spiked with DHA-esters or oleic acid-esters of 3-MCPD and Gly at 20 mg/kg. Further, results from unspiked samples of seven fish oil based dietary supplements and five DHA concentrated tuna oils analyzed by the improved enzymatic indirect method were compared with the results analyzed by AOCS Cd 29a. For all 3-MCPD, 2-MCPD and Gly, the 95% confidence intervals determined by the weighted Deming regression for slopes and intercepts contained the value of 1 and 0, respectively. It was therefore concluded that the results from the two methods were not statistically different. These results suggest that fish oils high in PUFAs may be included in the range of application for the improved enzymatic indirect method for simultaneous determinations of 3-MCPD and Gly esters in fats and oils.