Enzymatically made low-saturated fat margarine and its digestion
What it found
A margarine made from cottonseed oil and palm stearin with an enzyme process had a smoother mouthfeel and released more free fatty acids in lab digestion tests than a commercial margarine.
The work was done in the lab, not in people.
What they found
Animal and lab studies
Lab digestion
In simulated digestion, the new margarine changed in a similar way to commercial margarine but released more free fatty acids, 64.99 percent. The authors say this makes it easier for the body to digest and absorb.
Other findings
Base oil chosen
A 7:3 mix of cottonseed oil to palm stearin was picked for the margarine. It had 11.56 percent solid fat at 20°C, 36.71 percent fatty acid, and 1.15 percent S3-type triglyceride.
Crystal type
The new margarine had 59.49 percent beta-prime crystals, more than the two commercial margarines at 50.39 percent and 50.04 percent.
Melting and texture
Its melting and crystallization peaks were broader and smaller, with finer crystals. This suggests better melting and plasticity, and the texture was less thick, which the authors say gives a smoother mouthfeel.
What the authors conclude
- They say the new margarine adds value to cottonseed oil and supports nutritious functional products.
How it was done
Consumers are increasingly interested in low-saturated fat margarine. The authors say enzymatic interesterification is a good way to modify fats and oils because it is selective, uses mild conditions, and does not produce trans fatty acids.
They made five base oils by treating cottonseed oil and palm stearin with an enzyme, then mixed the chosen base oil with emulsifier and water to make margarine. They compared its fat crystals, melting, texture and lab digestion with a commercial margarine.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This was lab work, not a study in people. It cannot show how the margarine is digested or absorbed in the human body.
- The digestion test used a simulated system, so it cannot show real health effects.
Who paid
- Funding
- Funded by R&D and Application of Key Technologies for Monitoring and Control of Risk Factors in Cottonseed Oil (KY2024JBGS10) (from the PubMed record).
- Authors work at
- Shihezi University, PR China; Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural and Reclamation Science, PR China
The paper
- Title
- Preparation and Characterization of Low-Saturated Fat Margarine Through Enzymatic Interesterification: A Study on Physicochemical Properties, Crystalline Morphology, and In Vitro Digestive Behavior
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Animals and lab studies
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Zhan X, Zhang X, Zhang T, Liu W, Wu H, Wei C (2025). Preparation and Characterization of Low-Saturated Fat Margarine Through Enzymatic Interesterification: A Study on Physicochemical Properties, Crystalline Morphology, and In Vitro Digestive Behavior. Journal of food science. doi:10.1111/1750-3841.70558PubMed 40985239DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error