Designer lipids -synthesis and application – A review

Designer lipid is a novel, health-friendly lipid with potential application in food, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries, including obesity, cancer, heart disease, inflammation. These advantages arise due to modification of fat/oil by the chemical or enzymatic process to form designer lipid. The transformation of lipid results in the rearrangement of fatty acid within a triglyceride molecule or between two different triglycerides. Thus, the resulting designer lipid has superior and unique physicochemical properties than the naturally occurring triglycerides. Due to these excellent physicochemical properties, they are in great demand in the market. The primary aim of this review is to describe component fatty acids used for the synthesis of designer lipids, the process used in designing designer lipids, and reactors used to intensify the yield of designer lipids, application of designer lipid in the food and nutraceutical sector. Designer lipid is a chemically/enzymatically modified form of lipid to improve physicochemical and nutritional properties of traditional lipids coming from plant and animal source. Such fabricated lipids have attracted consumers' attention because of their unique properties and capability to manage various syndromes. Their demand by the consumer increased over the recent past. To fulfil the increase in demand, the intensified synthesis of these designer lipids is carried out using packed bed reactors, ultrasonic reactors, high-pressure reactors. With their claimed health benefits, designer lipids are widely used as a functional ingredient in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Currently, designer lipids are used as a plastic fat, human milk substitute, cocoa butter, used in infant formulation, low-calorie lipids, an anti-cancer, reduced cardiovascular risk etc. The application of designer lipid is governed by the positional distribution and type of fatty acid esterified on the glycerol backbone. •Designer lipids with improved physicochemical and nutritional properties can be synthesized through the enzymatic route.•Intensified synthesis of designer lipids is carried out using different reactors, which helps overcome the mass transfer resistance usually associated with enzymatic reactions.•The composition and/or stereospecific distribution of fatty acids is important in determining nutritional values of designer lipids.•Designer lipids find their way in various food application without compromising the physical and senso