LIPIDS

R U S E LL A L E N V. F E R N A NDEZ, R P H, M S P HARM
Introduction
LIPID
- found in living organism are a family of substances
that are insoluble in water but soluble in non-polar
solvents of low density. Lipids are chemically
heterogeneous mixtures. Are organic substances
made up of fatty acids and their naturally existing
compounds and derivatives.
FUNCTIONS:
1. Insulation and padding
2. Integrity of cell membrane
3. Synthesis of some hormones
4. carrier of fat –soluble vitamins
Cell Membrane
The membrane that surrounds a cell is made
up of proteins and lipids. Depending on the
membrane’s location and role in the body, lipids
can make up anywhere from 20 to 80 percent
of the membrane, with the remainder being
proteins.
• Cholesterol, which is not found in plant cells,
is a type of lipid that helps stiffen the
membrane.
Cell Membrane
Fats
• Fats are esters of glycerol and fatty acids.
Liquid fats are often called oils. Whether a fat is
solid or liquid depends on the nature of the fatty
acids. Solid animal fats contain mostly
saturated fatty acids, while vegetable oils
contain high amounts of unsaturated fatty
acids. To avoid arteriosclerosis, hardening of
the arteries, diets which are low in saturated
fatty acids as well as in cholesterol are
recommended.
• These are the most concentrated source of
energy in foods. They constitute the body’s chief
reserve of energy and essential for diverse
function.
• They are valued of enhancement of food
palatability.
All body cells contain fat 18-25% of body weight
The term oil refers to the physical state of fats. Oil
may refer to many types of organic compounds.
• Fats that come from animals are generally solids
at room temperature, and those from plants or fish
are usually liquids, liquid fats are often called OIL
• Fats float on water because it has a lower specific
gravity than water.
• They range in size from about 10 to 20 carbons
• They contain an even number of carbon atoms.
• Neutral ester of monobasic fatty acids with
trihydric alcohol glycerol known as
TRIGLYCERIDES.
Fats vs. Oils
Fats and oils are made from two kinds of molecules:
glycerol (a type of alcohol with a hydroxyl group on each of
its three carbons) and three fatty acids joined by
dehydration synthesis. Since there are three fatty acids
attached, these are known as triglycerides.
• “Bread” and pastries from a “bread factory” often contain
mono- and diglycerides as “dough conditioners.” Can
you figure out what these molecules would look like? The
main distinction between fats and oils is whether they’re
solid or liquid at room temperature, and this, as we’ll soon
see, is based on differences in the structures of the fatty
acids they contain.
General Properties
A. Physical
- neutral/ true fats, greasy feel and when brought
contact with a substances like paper, ( translucent
spot).
-Odorless, tasteless, colorless, they are soluble in
chloroform, benzene, ether, boiling alcohol.
- non-volatile, produce characteristics crystals with a
definite melting point
- neutral fats containing large amount of unsaturated
fatty acids are liquid at room temp., hence they are
called OILS (catalytic hydrogenation)
Types of Oils
a. Mineral Oil
b. Lubricating Oil
c. Oil of cloves
Composition:
- contains fatty acids ( the building blocks of
dietary fats) consist of chain series of carbon
atoms with a methyl group at one end and a
carboxyl group at the end . They are the
product of hydrolysis.
Chemical
1. Hydrolysis
- fats are readily hydrolyzed by acids, enzymes
or super heated steam with the liberation of
fatty acids and glycerol.
- lipolytic enzymes.
2. Saponification
- if instead of water in the above reaction , an
alkali is used, a Metallic salt of fatty acid
(soap) is formed and the process is called
saponification.
- Na soaps are hard , K soaps are soft
 3. Rancidity
- containing highly unsaturated fatty
acids neutral in reaction but when exposed to
air for sometime, they become acidic due
probably to hydrolysis with results in the
liberation of volatile fatty acids. These
are subsequently oxidized with the
formation of ODORIFEROUS VOLATILE
ALDEHYDES and KETONES.
Rancidity results in the destruction
of the accessory in food like
carotene, vitamin A, and vitamin E.
Rancid is therefore, is not only
unpalatable, but may even be toxic.
Fatty Acids
Building blocks of most lipids
Products of fat hydrolysis
Are long chain organic acids having from 4 to
24 carbon chain with a single carboxyl group
and a long non-polar hydrocarbons chain
which makes lipids insoluble in water.
Structure
Fatty acids may be “SATURATED or
UNSATURATED”
A fatty acids in which each of the carbon atoms
in the chains has 2 atoms attached to it is
saturated.
H H

C C
H H
TWO GROUPS OF FATTY ACIDS

A.SATURATED FATTY ACIDS

-belong to the acetic acid and have the
general formula of CnH2nO2
- containing single bonds
- Straight chain and branched chain
- low molecular weight
- are liquid at ordinary room temp./volatile
- some are solids with high molecular weight
and are non-volatile
• Low melting point
• Volatile
• The rest are solid with high melting point and are
SATURATED FATTY ACIDS
non-volatile.
Saturated Fatty Acids
a. Butyric acid g. Palmitic acid
b. Caproic acidic h. Stearic acid
c. Caprylic acid i. Arachidic acid
d. Capric acid j. Linoceric acid
e. Lauric acid k. Cerotic acid
f. Myristic acid l. Tuberculostearic acid
Palmitic Acid- makes up about 15 to
50% of the total fatty acids
Tuberculo stearic acid occurs in lipids
of human tubercle bacilli.
UNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS
• Is one in which hydrogen atom is missing from
each of 2 adjoining carbon atoms.

H H

C C
• Are unstable and reactive due to the
presence of the double bonds in the
molecules. The reactively increases with the
increase of the double bond.
• In soluble in ordinary solvent
• They are liquid at room temperature and non
volatile.
• The greater the degree of unsaturation, the lower
are the melting.
• Capable of taking up a molecule of water,
oxygen, hydrogen, bromine and iodine.
• Are insoluble in ordinary solvents
• Liquid at ordinary temperature and non-volatile
• Oleic acid is the most abundant fatty acids ( 50%)
Unsaturated fatty acids
Oleic acid
Linoleic acid
Linolenic acid
Arachidonic acid
Clupadonic acid
Oleic acid – is the most abundant
fatty acids found in nature.
Linolenic acid – is the chief
constituent of linseed oil, which is
the main drying oil of paint industry.
 The terms saturated, mono-
unsaturated, and poly-unsaturated
refer to the number of hydrogen attached
to the hydrocarbon tails of the fatty acids
as compared to the number of double
bonds between carbon atoms in the tail.
Sources of Lipids
Fats
Fats, which are mostly from animal
sources, have all single bonds
between the carbons in their fatty
acid tails, thus all the carbons are
also bonded to the maximum number
of hydrogen possible
 Since the fatty acids in these
triglycerides contain the maximum
possible amount of hydrogen's, these
would be called saturated fats. The
hydrocarbon chains in these fatty acids
are, thus, fairly straight and can pack
closely together, making these fats solid
at room temperature..
Animal Fats
Oils
• Oils, mostly from plant sources, have some
double bonds between some of the carbons
in the hydrocarbon tail, causing bends or
“kinks” in the shape of the molecules.
• Therefore these oils are called
unsaturated fats. Because of the kinks in
the hydrocarbon tails, unsaturated fats can’t
pack as closely together, making them liquid
at room temperature.
Vegetable Oils
Saturated and Unsaturated
Classification of Lipids
A. SIMPLE LIPIDS
- these are generally esters of fatty acids and
alcohols. The most common esters combinations of
fatty acids and glycerol. These compounds, also
referred to as neutral fats.
B. COMPOUND LIPIDS
- these are esters of glycerol and fatty acids, with
substitution of other components such as
carbohydrates, phosphate, and /or nitrogenous
groupings.
1. Phospholipids – fats containing hydrogen
phosphate and a nitrogenous base in addition
to fatty acid and glycerol. They play an
important role in the transport of fat to the
different tissues and appear to be involved in
its utilization.
◦ a. Lecithin – found in egg yolk, liver and nervous
tss,
◦ b. cephalin - a thromboplastin susbtances which
initiates the process of coagulation.
Phospholipids
Cell Membrane
2. Glycolipids - such as the cerebrosides contain a
molecule of glucose or galactose.
3. lipoprotein - include variety of lipid molecules
bound to protein molecule in order to facilitate
transport in the aqueous medium of the blood.
C. DERIVED LIPIDS
- these include alcohol ( glycerol and sterols
such as cholesterol); carotenoids; and the fat –soluble
vitamins A,D,E, and K. Products of hydrolysis of I and
II but still exhibiting the general properties of lipids.
Cholesterol
Cholesterol is not a “bad guy!”
• Our bodies make about 2 g of cholesterol per day, and that makes
up about 85% of blood cholesterol, while only about 15% comes
from dietary sources.
• Cholesterol is the precursor to our sex hormones and Vitamin D.
Vitamin D is formed by the action of UV light in sunlight on
cholesterol molecules that have “risen” to near the surface of the
skin.
• At least one source I read suggested that people not shower
immediately after being in the sun, but wait at least ½ hour for the
new Vitamin D to be absorbed deeper into the skin.
• Our cell membranes contain a lot of cholesterol (in between the
phospholipids) to help keep them “fluid” even when our cells are
exposed to cooler temperatures.
Triglycerides
- are storage of lipids
- occurs in droplets microscopic, finely
despised and emulsified in cytosol.
- Adipocytes ( fat cells- connective tissue)
- Abundant in skin , abdominal cavity and
mammary glands
- Are better adapted as energy store than
glycogen
- They can be stored in large amounts in
almost pure unhydrated form and yields
over twice as much energy gram per
gram as carbohydrates.
- Are obtained from diet or are
synthesized in liver after meal
- They transported in the blood as
lipoproteins and stored in adipose tissue.
Lipoprotein
are clusters of proteins and lipids all
tangled up together. These act as a
means of carrying lipids, including
cholesterol, around in our blood.
 LIPOPROTEIN – carriers of cholesterol
- There are four kinds lipoprotein
a. Chylomicrons – produced in intestinal cells from dieteary
tissue
b. VLDL ( very low density lipoprotein) – are produced in the
liver from dietary constituents mainly of CHO.
c. IDL (intermediate density lipoprotein)
d. LDL ( low density lipoprotein) – are produced in blood
capillaries by digestion of the triglycerides of VLDL. (bad
cholesterol)
e. HDL ( high density lipoprotein ) – transfer an activator of
lipoprotein lipase. (good cholesterol)
Fatty acid with glycerol
Glycerol
SOAP
• A soap is the sodium or potassium salt of a long-
chain fatty acid. The fatty acid usually contains 12 to
18 carbon atoms. Solid soaps usually consist of
sodium salts of fatty acids, whereas liquid soaps
consist of the potassium salts of fatty acids.
• A soap such as sodium stearate consists of a
nonpolar end (the hydrocarbon chain of the fatty acid)
and a polar end (the ionic carboxylate).
CH3CH2CH2CH2CH2CH2CH2CH2CH2CH2CH2CH2
CH2CH2CH2CH2CH2 COO–Na+