Diacylglycerol Oil: Health Benefits, Synthesis and Applications

Diacylglycerol (DAG) is a type of structured lipid that is made up of glycerol and two fatty acids. It is present in majority of vegetable oils in minute amounts. On a separate note, DAG can also be enzymatically or chemically synthesised through structural modification of conventional fats and oils via several possible mechanistic routes like esterification, glycerolysis, partial hydrolysis, and interesterification. Studies demonstrate that consumption of DAG significantly reduces body fat accumulation and lowers serum triglyceride level as DAG exhibits different metabolic pathway as compared to conventional fats and oils. As a result, DAG can be utilised as low-calorie fat substitute in many food applications. The performance of DAG as frying shortening, oil-in-water or water-in-oil emulsion was extensively studied so far. In fact, DAG can be found commercially available in Japan and United States market to be sold as healthy cooking oil. Nevertheless, the sale of DAG was put to a halt recently due to the presence of probable carcinogen which is 3-MCPDs and GEs in refined vegetable oil. This chapter aims to summarise the information on the production, process developments, applications, health benefits and safety concern of DAG oil.