Structured phospholipids with functional ingredients like conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and plant sterols to deliver their physiological effects in different food formulations were synthesized. The lipase and phospholipase A2 catalyzed enzymatic acidolysis reaction between phospholipids (PLs) and CLA was used for fatty acid modification, while the phospholipase D catalyzed transphosphatidylation reaction between PLs and sterol was used for head group modification. Enzymatic processes were an effective way to produce structured phospholipids. Screening of four lipases and immobilized phospholipase A2 and combination of lipase and phospholipase showed that only Lipozyme RM IM and Lipozyme TL IM were effective in incorporation of CLA into PLs. The maximum incorporation achieved by the latter enzyme was 16% with soy PLs in 72 h. The class of phospholipids had a significant effect on the rate of incorporation of CLA compare to source of PLs. A method capable of predicting the rate of incorporation of CLA into phospholipids was developed using response surface methodology. A three-level four-factor Central Composite Rotatable Design (CCRD) was used. The four factors selected were lipase dosage (Ed, wt.% of substrate), substrate ratio (Sr,mol%), reaction time (ti, h) and reaction temperature (Te,oC). The enzyme load and substrate ratio had a greater effect on the rate of incorporation than did reaction time and temperature. A polynomial regression equation was developed to predict the reaction rate. The new phosphatidyl derivative, phosphatidyl-sitosterol, was found to be synthesized by the transfer reaction of phosphatidyl residue from phosphatidylcholine to β-sitosterol by phospholipase D from Streptomyces sp. in biphasic medium. The novel phosphatidyl .sitosterol derivative was identified by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Plant sterols were modified to a more polar lipid class by synthesizing phospholipid derivatives of them. When these structured phospholipids were added to a whey protein based oil-in-water emulsion, the CLA incorporated structured phospholipids (CLA-PL) had higher heat stability and oxidative stability compared to the controls.

Reduced bioavailability in some formulations of phytosterols accounts for the variable results observed in LDL- C- lowering efficacy among trials. This study examined the effects of a water-dispersible formulation of free phytosterols (WD-PS) versus phytosterol esters (PS-esters) on plasma lipid and fat soluble vitamins concentrations in hypercholesterolemic individuals. Using a double-blind, randomized, crossover study, 47 hypercholesterolemics were provided for 4 wk: WD-PS-enriched yogurt (2g/d), PS-esters-enriched yogurt (2g/d), or yogurt alone (placebo), in a random order. Each study phase was separated by 4 wk washout intervals. Supplementation of WD-PS or PS-esters similarly decreased serum TC (7.7% and 6.3%, respectively) and LDL-C levels (11.7% and 11.6%, respectively, p<0.001). The ratio of TC/ HDL-C decreased for WD-PS (10.6%, p<0.05) but not for PS-esters. Moreover, WD-PS reduced serum TG (13.9%, p<0.05) as compared to PS-esters (0.6%). The results of the current study confirm the importance of the formulation of phytosterols in their bioavailability and efficacy.

Reduced bioavailability in some formulations of phytosterols accounts for the variable results observed in LDL- C- lowering efficacy among trials. This study examined the effects of a water-dispersible formulation of free phytosterols (WD-PS) versus phytosterol esters (PS-esters) on plasma lipid and fat soluble vitamins concentrations in hypercholesterolemic individuals. Using a double-blind, randomized, crossover study, 47 hypercholesterolemics were provided for 4 wk: WD-PS-enriched yogurt (2g/d), PS-esters-enriched yogurt (2g/d), or yogurt alone (placebo), in a random order. Each study phase was separated by 4 wk washout intervals. Supplementation of WD-PS or PS-esters similarly decreased serum TC (7.7% and 6.3%, respectively) and LDL-C levels (11.7% and 11.6%, respectively, p<0.001). The ratio of TC/ HDL-C decreased for WD-PS (10.6%, p<0.05) but not for PS-esters. Moreover, WD-PS reduced serum TG (13.9%, p<0.05) as compared to PS-esters (0.6%). The results of the current study confirm the importance of the formulation of phytosterols in their bioavailability and efficacy.

The heterodimeric ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter, ABCG5/G8, is responsible for direct secretion of cholesterol and dietary sterols into the gut lumen and the bile. Inactivating mutations of ABCG5/G8 cause sitosterolemia, a rare autosomal recessive disease characterized by the accumulation of plant sterols in plasma, hypercholesterolemia and development of premature coronary heart disease. Functional and structural characterization of ABCG5/G8 is necessary to understand its mechanism and how the genetic defects impact its function. In this thesis, I expressed seventeen constructs of various disease-causing or catalytically deficient missense mutations in Pichia pastoris yeast. This establishes reagents for in vitro functional and structural studies. Secondly, I focused on two disease mutants (ABCG5-E146Q and ABCG8-R543S) and a sterol binding mutation (ABCG5-A540F) and established large-scale purification of these mutants. Using a cholesterol hemisuccinate (CHS)-dependent ATPase assay, I determined ATP hydrolysis by these three mutants and analyze their kinetic parameters. All missense mutants showed a significantly impaired ATPase activity, but the ability of ATP binding appeared unchanged between the WT and the mutants. This work demonstrates an intimate structure-function relationship in ABCG5/G8 and sheds some light on the mechanistic details of this important cholesterol-regulating ABC transporter.