Biotransformed babassu oil: production and application in whipped cream

Babassu oil, high in medium-chain fatty acids like lauric and myristic acids, is appreciated in the food industry for its oxidative stability, making it suitable for diverse applications. This study aimed to produce volatile esters from babassu oil via lipase-catalyzed transesterification, creating a natural flavoring, without purification processes, that can be applied to clean-label foods. Esterification was conducted in a solvent-free system with a 51:49 mixture of babassu oil and grain alcohol, using Lipozyme^® 435 (7% m/v). The reaction parameters were optimized in previous work by the research group. The reaction occurred in Erlenmeyer flasks with orbital stirring at 58ºC for six hours. Post-reaction, volatile esters were extracted by headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and analyzed in a gas chromatograph coupled to the mass spectrometer (GC-MS) (1:20 split mode), identifying ethyl esters such as ethyl butyrate, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl octanoate, ethyl decanoate, ethyl dodecanoate, ethyl tretradecanoate, and ethyl hexadecanoate. The smell of this biotransformed oil had a tropical, fruity, and rich scent, similar to pineapple and coconut. The whipped cream was chosen as a model application, with 1% of the biotransformed babassu oil added to a basic whipped cream formula (cream, sugar). Compared to the control sample (without biotransformed oil added), both consumers and GC-MS detected the tropical aroma of the esters in the product. However, the desired whipped texture required increased beating time and speed. The ethyl esters' lower viscosity and crystallization capacity likely compromised the lipid network's stability, slowing air incorporation and requiring a longer beating process. The study concludes that babassu oil biotransformed by lipase successfully generated active ethyl esters with tropical aromas. This biotransformed oil can be applied to whipped cream to create a naturally flavored product with a fruity aroma. Still, adjustments in beating parameters are necessary to achieve the target texture.