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Introduction. Avocado oil is rich in vitamins A, B, C and E, and is mainly composed by monounsaturated fat acids, which effectively reduce cholesterol levels in blood, thus helping to prevent cardiovascular diseases. Objective. Evaluating the performance of Hass avocado (Persea americana Mill) oil extraction in E3-M (mature) from the East of Antioquia, by the use of commercial enzymatic complexes. Materials and methods. To develop this research work, a physical-chemical characterization was performed, determining the pertinent maturity state to extract the oil. The enzymatic extraction was performed with three enzymatic complexes, Pectinex Novozym nd Ultrazym, and three enzyme concentration levels (150, 200 and 250 mL/t. of mixture) to evaluate the quantity of extracted oil. Results. The best performance was achieved with the pectinex enzyme, in a concentration of 200 ml of enzima/t, mixture in which an oil extraction performance of 60% was obtained in the E3-M maturity state (mature). Conclusion. The treatment with enzymatic complexes is a feasible alternative to extract the oil, because it is possible to degrade the galacturonic acid chains and free the oil contained in the idioblasts of the Hass avocado's (Persea american Mill) mesocarp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enzymatic synthesis of structured lipids by transesterification of soybean oil with palm kernel oil was evaluated in a packed-bed reactor with a capacity for 500g of enzyme Ioading. Lipozyme RM-IM was used as catalyst. Substrate blends were passed through the enzyme bed at different flow rates, Transesterification reached a level of 19.6%, with a maximum calculated productivity of 2344 kg of transesterified oil/kg of immobilized enzyme, a flow rate of 9,36 kg oil/kg enzyme/h. The triacylglycerols formed in major proportion were C40:2, C42:2, C42:3, C44:2, C44:3, C50:3 and C50:4. Stereoespecific analysis of the fat before and after transesterification shows a slight migration of acyl groups. The products obtained by this technology can be applied in the formulation of lipid emulsions for enteral and parenteral nutrition and the food industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]