Roby Mohamed H, Allouche Ahmad, Dahdou Layal, De Castro Vanessa C, da Silva Paulo H Alves, Targino Brenda N, Huguet Marion, Paris Cédric, Chrétien Françoise, Guéant Rosa-Maria, Desobry Stéphane, Oster Thierry, Humeau Catherine
Université de Lorraine, ENSAIA, Laboratoire LIBio, Nancy F-54500, France; Fayoum University, Faculty of Agriculture, Food Science and Technology Dept., 63514 Fayoum, Egypt.
Université de Lorraine, ENSAIA, Laboratoire UR AFPA - BFLA (EA 3998, USC INRA 0340), Nancy F-54500, France.
Food Chem. 2015 Mar 15;171:397-404. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2014.09.028. Epub 2014 Sep 16.
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is increasingly considered for its health benefits. However, its use as functional food ingredient is still limited by its instability. In this work, we developed an efficient and solvent-free bioprocess for the synthesis of a phenolic ester of DHA. A fed-batch process catalyzed by Candida antarctica lipase B was optimised, leading to the production of 440 g/L vanillyl ester (DHA-VE). Structural characterisation of the purified product indicated acylation of the primary OH group of vanillyl alcohol. DHA-VE exhibited a high radical scavenging activity in acellular systems. In vivo experiments showed increased DHA levels in erythrocytes and brain tissues of mice fed DHA-VE-supplemented diet. Moreover, in vitro neuroprotective properties of DHA-VE were demonstrated in rat primary neurons exposed to amyloid-β oligomers. In conclusion, DHA-VE synergized the main beneficial effects of two common natural biomolecules and therefore appears a promising functional ingredient for food applications.
