Depiction of 2-oleic acid-1,3-saturated fatty acid triacylglycerols intended for cocoa butter equivalents from Rhodosporidium toruloides.

Cocoa butter equivalent (CBE) serves as a viable substitute for cocoa butter (CB) in the confectionary industry. In this study, four types of CBE were produced via fermentation of Rhodosporidium toruloides and systematically characterized. Fatty acid analysis revealed similarities in both total and sn-2 fatty acid composition compared to cocoa butter. Specifically, palmitic acid, stearic acid and oleic acid constituted 87 % to 91 % of the total fatty acid, with palmitic acid predominating at the sn-2 position (80 %). Analysis of triacylglycerol species indicated that the combined proportion of POP, POSt, and StOSt was lower (50 %) than that found in cocoa butter. Solid fat content analysis showed that CBE were soft than cocoa butter. X-ray analysis confirmed that both CBE and CB predominantly exhibited the desired β crystal form. Additionally, spherical-shaped crystals were observed in CBE during polarized light microscopy analysis.