The fatty acid constituent TAG in cooking oils is considered unhealthy, as high levels of it in the bloodstream can lead to increased risk of heart disease and stroke. DAG oil, on the other hand, has numerous health benefits, including reducing post-meal blood TAG levels and increasing the overall metabolism, thus helping reduce fat already stored in the body.
"We have identified and purified a DAG generating enzyme (lipase) from rice bran that cleaves one of the three fatty acids from TAG, converting it into DAG," says Ram Rajasekharan, a professor of biochemistry at IISc.