Preferential hydrolysis of monohydroperoxides of linoleoyl and linolenoyl triacylglycerol by pancreatic lipase.

Four triacylglycerols (TGs) containing palmitoyl and linoleoyl or linolenoyl groups in known positions were synthesized and pancreatic lipase hydrolysis of their monohydroperoxides was investigated. TG monohydroperoxides did not deactivate the lipase and were hydrolyzed at almost the same degrees as their original TGs. In the hydrolysis of unoxidized TGs, pancreatic lipase showed almost the same reactivity on palmitoyl, linoleoyl and linolenoyl groups at the 1(3)-positions. However, this enzyme had fatty acid specificity for TG monohydroperoxides and the molar concentration of hydroperoxy linoleic or linolenic acid liberated from 1(3)-positions of TG monohydroperoxides were 1.6-2.4-times higher than that of the unoxidized fatty acid from the corresponding 3(1)-positions. The susceptibility of hydroperoxy acyl components of TG monohydroperoxides to pancreatic lipase hydrolysis is explained by its molecular structure and hydrophilic property.