Degumming of vegetable oils by a novel phospholipase B from Pseudomonas fluorescens BIT-18

► This is the first report to demonstrate the presence of phospholipase B in the genus Pseudomonas. ► Phospholipase B from P. fluorescens BIT-18 was first time applied in the degumming of vegetable oils and is the subtle finding of this research. ► The present study reports about the highly active and novel biological approach for the economical degumming process. ► This new method will not only improve the refined quality of oils but also cut the cost to a great extent. Pseudomonas fluorescens BIT-18 was isolated from soil near a vegetable oil factory and shown to produce a B-type phospholipase. The enzyme was partially purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation. Gas chromatography demonstrated that the enzyme preparation hydrolyzed both the 1- and 2-ester bonds of phosphatidylcholine. When degumming of soybean, rapeseed, and peanut oil was performed with this enzyme preparation, oils with phosphorous contents lower than 5mg/kg were obtained after 5h of enzyme treatment at 40°C. The enzyme preparation did not show lipase activity, thus free fatty acids were only generated from the phospholipids. Therefore, this novel phospholipase B is potentially useful for the refining of high-quality oils with attractive yields.