PBP and PSP Promote ' Form Crystallization of Palm Oil, Palm Stearin, and a Cocoa Butter Replacer

To precisely regulate the crystallization of lipids, an in-depth understanding of the correlation between the structures of the crystallization promoters and their functionalities is crucial. The effects of the crystallization promoters 1,3-dipalmitoyl-2-behenoyl-glycerol (PBP) and 1,3-dipalmitoyl-2-stearoyl-glycerol (PSP) on the crystallization behavior of palm oil, palm stearin, and a cocoa butter replacer were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry, polarized light microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The chain-length difference between PSP and PBP resulted in different thermally stable polymorphs. PBP was stabilized in the beta-3L form, but PSP was stabilized in the beta'-2L form. The addition of PBP and PSP significantly promoted nucleation and led to an earlier onset of crystallization during cooling. After isothermal and nonisothermal crystallization, the PSP and PBP increased the melting temperatures of the palm oil and the cocoa butter replacer but decreased the melting temperature of the palm stearin, since PBP and PSP effectively promoted beta' formation but retarded the beta' to beta transformation. Due to the differences in chain length and subcell matching, palm stearin crystallizes on PSP and PBP via different modes. Practical applications: PBP and PSP have potential as beta'-form crystallization promoters for plastic fats. This research indicated the possibility of regulating the nanostructures of fats by structural design of the crystallization promoters.