Description
Phospholipase C (PLC) cleaves the glycerophosphate ester bond of phospholipids, releasing diacylglycerol and a phosphorylated headgroup. In edible oil refining it is the modern degumming enzyme of choice for soybean and rapeseed oil, because the diacylglycerol product remains in the oil and lifts refined yield by 1 to 2 percent.
Amber liquid for direct dosing into oil-degumming lines. Activity is standardised in Phospholipase Units (PLU) per supplier convention.
We supply food-grade Phospholipase C from manufacturers in China holding ISO 22000, Halal, Kosher and other certifications relevant to the product and production. Engineered Pichia pastoris production strains expressing bacterial PLC genes are the dominant source.
Common market grades include 5,000 PLU/g standard degumming liquid, 10,000 to 25,000 PLU/g concentrated for low-volume dosing, 50,000 PLU/g high-activity grade, and blended PLA1/PLC formulations for total phospholipid coverage in oils with mixed hydratable and non-hydratable profiles.
Bulk and reduced-MOQ shipments. Batch-level COA covering activity, pH optimum, temperature optimum, side activities, heavy metals and microbiology.
Introduction
Phospholipase C entered commercial edible oil refining in the late 2000s and 2010s as engineered Pichia pastoris production unlocked economic supply of bacterial PLC enzymes. The yield advantage versus PLA1 and PLA2 degumming has driven rapid adoption in soybean and rapeseed mills where every basis point of refined-oil yield translates to substantial annual margin.
Industrial production is by fermentation of engineered Pichia pastoris strains expressing PLC genes from Bacillus cereus and related bacterial sources. The enzyme is supplied as a stabilised liquid concentrate dosed at parts-per-million levels into degumming reactors.
The enzyme is approved as a processing aid in the U.S. and EU food industries from approved source organisms, listed in the JECFA enzyme compendium, and supported by full FEMA and JECFA safety dossiers.
Mechanistically, PLC cleaves the phosphodiester bond between the glycerol and the headgroup of phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine and (in some PLC subclasses) phosphatidylinositol. The diacylglycerol product is fully oil-soluble and contributes to refined-oil yield rather than to gum loss, which is the structural reason for the PLC yield advantage.
Strategic positioning is among the highest-growth enzymes in industrial food processing: enzymatic degumming continues to displace caustic refining in global vegetable oil mills, and within enzymatic degumming PLC is taking share from PLA1 and PLA2 because of the yield economics.
Where it is used
- Enzymatic degumming of soybean, rapeseed and sunflower oil; lifts refined-oil yield by 1 to 2 percent versus PLA-based degumming
- Conversion of phospholipids to diacylglycerol; the only phospholipase route that keeps fatty material in the oil phase
- Combined PLC plus PLA1 degumming systems; addresses total phospholipid spectrum in difficult-to-refine oils
- Industrial lecithin modification; precision removal of selected phospholipid classes
- Phytate-free lecithin manufacture from PLC-treated crude lecithin
- Specialty oil refining for premium frying and food-service oil grades
- Vegetable oil pretreatment for biodiesel feedstock with maximum oil-yield recovery
- Diacylglycerol-enriched oil production for functional food applications
Technical data
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Amber liquid |
| Activity | 5,000 to 50,000 PLU/g or per customer specification |
| pH optimum | 5.5 to 7.0 |
| Temperature optimum | 50 °C to 60 °C |
| Heavy metals (as Pb) | ≤ 10 mg/kg |
| Arsenic | ≤ 3 mg/kg |
| Total plate count | ≤ 50,000 CFU/g |
| Coliforms | ≤ 30 CFU/g |
| Salmonella | Absent in 25 g |
| E. coli | Absent in 25 g |
| Source organism | Pichia pastoris expressing bacterial PLC gene |
Ready to discuss business?
Send us your spec and requirement. We will respond with availability and pricing within 24 hours.