Soy flour as an alternative to purified lipoxygenase for the enzymatic synthesis of resolvin analogues

Specialized pro-resolving mediators are lipid signaling molecules synthesized from omega-3 and -6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which promote the resolution of the inflammatory response. They are potential drug targets for the treatment of numerous conditions linked with uncontrolled inflammation. Many of these mediators can be effectively synthesized using enzymes, such as lipoxygenases. However, these enzymes are expensive to purchase and can be difficult to isolate. In this work, we show that commercial soy flour can be used directly as a source of lipoxygenase for the biosynthesis of specialized pro-resolving mediators from DHA and other biologically important fatty acids. The reaction was optimized and the products characterized. We found that the reaction yield and products were comparable to those synthesized using a commercial 15-lipoxygenase preparation.