Key Laboratory of Plant Resources and Beijing Botanical Garden, Institute of Botany, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
J Food Sci. 2022 Sep;87(9):3925-3937. doi: 10.1111/1750-3841.16262. Epub 2022 Jul 29.
Acer truncatum seed oil (ATSO) contains abundant unsaturated fatty acids, with significant quantities of nervonic acid (NA, > 5%), which was authenticated as a new food resource in China. For the sake of minimizing animal consumption and the importance of NA for human health, extraction of NA from plants has become a research hotspot. In the present study, three extraction factors were determined to significantly influence the saponification reaction based on single-factor experiments: NaOH dosage, reaction time, and reaction temperature. These three factors were used to further optimize the saponification process through the response surface methodology, and the highest yield of mixed fatty acids was 83.12%. Moreover, the activation energy (40.8228 kJ/mol), the pre-exponential factor [2.568 × 10 m /(kmol·min)], and the kinetic equation [r = kc c = 2.568 × 10 ·exp(- c c ] of the ATSO saponification reaction were determined by combining the chemical reaction rate equation of the elementary reaction, the Arrhenius equation, and the NaOH concentration in the substrate. Finally, the mixed fatty acids of ATSO were crystallized by triple-stage low-temperature crystallization, and we achieved 25.05% purity for NA. This study provides a technological basis and strategy for specific fatty acid production from ASTO, as well as other vegetable oils important in the field of food and health supplement products. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Nervonic acid (NA) is an essential component of neural cells and neural tissue, and it is vital for maintaining the normal work of nerve tissues in organisms and promotes neurodevelopment. NA has traditionally been mainly obtained from shark hunting, which is now restricted due to an international ban on shark fishing. The alternative way to produce NA cheaply and in large quantities is from plant sources. The techniques utilized in this study provide an effective method of NA separation from Acer truncatum seed oil for industrial production.
甜茶籽油（Acer truncatum seed oil，ATSO）富含不饱和脂肪酸，其中神经酸（nervonic acid，NA，>5%）含量较高，已被中国认证为新的食品资源。考虑到尽量减少动物消耗以及 NA 对人类健康的重要性，从植物中提取 NA 已成为研究热点。在本研究中，基于单因素实验确定了 3 个显著影响皂化反应的提取因素：NaOH 用量、反应时间和反应温度。利用响应面法对这 3 个因素进一步优化了皂化工艺，得到混合脂肪酸的最高产率为 83.12%。此外，通过结合基本反应的化学反应速率方程、阿仑尼乌斯方程和底物中 NaOH 浓度，确定了甜茶籽油皂化反应的活化能（40.8228 kJ/mol）、指前因子[2.568×10 m /(kmol·min)]和动力学方程[r=kc c =2.568×10 ·exp(- c c ]。最后，采用三级低温结晶法对甜茶籽油的混合脂肪酸进行结晶，得到 NA 纯度为 25.05%。本研究为特定脂肪酸（如 ASTO 中的脂肪酸）以及其他在食品和保健品领域具有重要意义的植物油的生产提供了技术基础和策略。
神经酸（NA）是神经细胞和神经组织的重要组成部分，对于维持生物体内神经组织的正常工作和促进神经发育至关重要。传统上，NA 主要从鲨鱼捕捞中获得，但由于国际上禁止捕捞鲨鱼，现在这种方法受到限制。从植物来源廉价且大量生产 NA 的替代方法是可行的。本研究中使用的技术为从甜茶籽油中分离 NA 提供了一种有效的方法，可用于工业生产。
