CAS: 9001-84-7 | EC No.: 232-637-7
PHOSPHOLIPASE A2 (PLA2 or PA2) is an enzyme derived from porcine pancreas. It serves as a catalyst in the hydrolysis of the fatty acid in the second position of phospholipids/lecithin. This process converts approximately 70% of the lecithin found in egg yolk to lysolecithin, which has much better emulsifying properties than lecithin. PHOSPHOLIPASE A2 is an enzyme preparation containing trypsin and chymotrypsin specifically designed for food applications.
Advantages:
A key advantage of Bioseutica®’s pancreatic enzymes is the comprehensive package of services that accompanies them, including both technical and application support tailored to customer needs. Neova collaborates closely with its clients to meet specific product specifications, from formulation through to scale‑up. All raw materials are sourced from government‑certified facilities, ensuring traceability and regulatory compliance. Bioseutica®’s PHOSPHOLIPASE A2 (PLA2) meets the recommended purity requirements for food‑grade enzymes established by the joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) and the Food Chemical Codex (FCC).
Applications:
PHOSPHOLIPASE A2 (PLA2) can be used to produce heat‑stable egg yolk with enhanced functional properties. Enzyme‑modified egg yolk offers significant benefits in mayonnaise, sauces, dressings, baked goods, and ice cream, where improved emulsifying capacity helps stabilize otherwise incompatible ingredients. Compared with untreated egg yolk, PLA2‑treated yolk shows markedly higher stability at elevated temperatures (around 70–80 °C), while native yolk has limited tolerance above approximately 60 °C. In certain applications (such as mayonnaise), egg yolk modified with PHOSPHOLIPASE A2 has demonstrated superior stability even at retort temperatures above 150 °C, enabling the use of pasteurization for improved microbiological safety and extended shelf life. Another important benefit is increased viscosity, which is particularly valuable in mayonnaise production, where body and texture are critical to product quality.
Food Applications:
PHOSPHOLIPASE A2 is used extensively as a processing aid in many food applications, including:
-
Production of enzyme‑modified, heat‑stable egg yolk for use in mayonnaise.
-
Improved emulsification, viscosity and thermal stability in mayonnaise, enabling pasteurization and extended shelf life.
-
Enzymatic degumming of vegetable oils to remove phospholipids and improve refining efficiency.
-
Lecithin and egg yolk powder hydrolysis to produce lysolecithins with enhanced emulsifying power.
-
Production of low‑fat cheese and other dairy products with improved texture and creaminess.
-
Improving the heat stability and emulsifying properties of egg yolk and soy products in sauces, dressings and beverages.
-
Enhancing antibacterial activity against both GRAM‑positive and GRAM‑negative bacteria in certain formulations.
-
Preventing oiling‑out during cheese production, thereby increasing yield and product consistency.
-
Stabilising oil‑in‑water emulsions in food and beverage systems, helping to reduce phase separation and improve mouthfeel.
-
Tailoring functional phospholipid ingredients (e.g. for bakery, confectionery and ready‑to‑drink beverages) to optimise body, creaminess and shelf‑life.
Coffee-based Applications:
In coffee‑based applications, PHOSPHOLIPASE A2 can also be used to:
-
Modify coffee lipids and naturally occurring phospholipids to improve beverage clarity and reduce surface oiling in soluble and ready‑to‑drink coffees.
-
Generate lyso‑phospholipids that enhance cream formation, body and perceived creaminess in espresso‑style and foamed coffee drinks.
-
Improve the physical stability of coffee‑milk and coffee‑oil emulsions, limiting phase separation during processing and storage.
-
Reduce the development of off‑flavours linked to uncontrolled lipid degradation, helping maintain a cleaner and more stable coffee aroma over shelf‑life.
Pharmaceutical Applications:
PHOSPHOLIPASE A2 has a variety of applications in drug delivery systems, particularly as an enzyme‑responsive trigger in lipid‑based carriers:
-
Enabling PLA2‑responsive liposomes that release encapsulated drugs (e.g. antibiotics or anticancer agents) when they encounter elevated PLA2 levels at sites of infection or tumors.
-
Designing PLA2‑degradable liposomes and phospholipid micelles in which enzymatic hydrolysis of membrane lipids destabilizes the carrier and accelerates drug release.
-
Targeting cancers and inflammatory diseases where secretory PLA2 is overexpressed, using PLA2 activity in the local tissue microenvironment as a selective trigger for site‑specific drug release.
-
Increasing membrane permeability at the target site through the lysophospholipids and fatty acids generated by PLA2, thereby enhancing cellular uptake of released drugs.
-
Supporting smart nanocarrier designs (liposomes, micelles, nanoparticles) that combine PLA2‑sensitive phospholipids with imaging agents or prodrugs for theranostic or controlled‑release applications.
-
Developing PLA2‑responsive nanoparticles and micelles for tumor‑targeted chemotherapy and combination therapies, often in dual‑responsive systems (e.g. PLA2 + pH) to better exploit the tumor microenvironment.
-
Creating PLA2‑responsive nanocarriers that co‑deliver imaging agents (e.g. MRI contrast or optical probes) and drugs, enabling real‑time tracking of drug accumulation and release.
-
Formulating nanoparticles loaded with PLA2 inhibitors to locally modulate pathological inflammation in diseases where PLA2 is up-regulated (e.g. certain joint, cardiovascular or neuro-inflammatory conditions).
Regulatory:
Regulations may vary by country. Always check the local legislation regarding the usage and claims of this product.
Specifications (units/ml):
PHOSPHOLIPASE A2 Activity Min: 10,000