Food & Nutrition

Chapter 4

Lipids -1

Dr. Kanza Aziz Awan

Lipids - Introduction
 Lipids - group of naturally occurring
substances:
 Soluble in organic solvents:
 Chloroform

 Diethyl ether

 Carbon tetrachloride

 Petroleum ether

 Insoluble or sparingly soluble

 Water

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Lipids – Introduction
 Include:
 1. Simple lipids - Fats, oils, waxes
 2. Compound lipids - Phospholipids,
glycolipids, lipoproteins
 3. Derived lipids - Fatty acids, alcohols,
hydrocarbons
 4. Substances associated with lipids in
nature - Tocopherols, K-vitamins, steroids

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 Introduction
 Chemically, lipids consist of carbon, hydrogen
and oxygen
 Some also contain phosphorus and nitrogen
 Some nutritionally important lipids:
 Fats and oils
 Phospholipids
 Glycolipids
 Sterols
 Steroids.

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Fats and Oils
 1. Simple lipids
 Fats:
 Solid at ambient temperature
 Contain 2 or 3 saturated fatty acids with
glycerol
 Oils
 Liquid at ambient temperature
 Have at least one unsaturated fatty acid
with glycerol molecule.

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Fats and Oils
Chemically, esters of fatty acids with glycerol
and mixtures of: -
 i. Mono-glycerides – one molecule of fatty
acids + 01 molecule of glycerol
 ii. Di-glycerides – two molecules of fatty
acids + 01 molecule of glycerol
 iii. Tri-glycerides – three molecules of fatty
acids + 01 molecule of glycerol
 Most fats and oils are triglycerides.

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Functions- fats and oils
Several roles - nutritional, functional, sensory
1. Provide energy – 9 kcal or 37.7 KJ/g

2. Provide essential fatty acids

 Linoleic acid
 Linolenic acid

3. Carry fat-soluble vitamins:

 A, D, E, K

4. Dissolve flavours, colours - make food

attractive

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Functions- fats and oils
5. Make food more palatable
6. Lubricate food making easier to swallow
7. Provide feeling of satiety

8. Provide:
 Fatty acids
 Cholesterol - form cell membranes in all
body organs
9. Help formation of:
 Retina
 Central nervous system.
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 Fats and oils – functions contd

 Stored fat in body:

 a. Serve as energy reserve

 b. Protect organs from shock and injury:

 Heart

 Kidney
 Viscera

 c. Help maintain constant body temperature

by providing insulating layer under skin
 d. Contribute to body shape
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Fatty Acids
 Fatty acid - chain of carbon atoms, each with
hydrogen atoms attached
 Chain ends in acidic group (COOH)
 COOH able to combine with glycerol
 Dozens of fatty acids in nature

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Fatty Acids
 Differ in:
 Number of carbon atoms
 Double bonds
 Classified on:
 Chain length
 Chemical structure
 Nutritional requirements

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 Classification on Chain Length

a. Short chain fatty acids

Fatty acids that contain 8 or less than 8 carbon
atoms in their structure
Have low melting point
More easily digested than long chain fatty
acids
Examples:
Acetic (C-2) Butyric (C-4)
Caproic (C-6) Caprylic acids (C-8)
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 Classification on Chain Length
b. Long chain fatty acids
 Contain 10 or more carbon atoms in their chain
 Melting point rises as chain length increases
 Examples:
 Capric acid (C-10) Lauric acid (C-12)
 Myristic acid (C-14) Palmitic acid (C-16)
 Palmitoleic acid (C-16) Stearic acid (C-18)
 Oleic acid (C-18) Linoleic acid (C-18)
 Linolenic acid (C-18) Arachidic acid (C-20)
 Arachidonic acid (C-20)
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Classification on chemical structure
Saturated Fatty Acids
 General formula CnH2nO2 or CnH2n+[Link].
 Contain maximum number of hydrogen atoms
their chemical structure will permit
 Have no double bonds in their structure
 Quite stable
 Higher melting point
 Animal fats, hydrogenated fats - contain more
saturated fatty acids than plant and fish oils.
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Classification on chemical structure
Saturated Fatty Acids
 Saturated fatty acids like lauric, myristic and
palmitic raise blood serum cholesterol level
 Occur most commonly
 Palmitic acid widely distributed, may
contribute 10–50% of total fatty acids in any
food
 Palmitic acid makes:
 up to 35% of all fatty acids in animal fats
 up to 17% in plant oils and fish
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Classification on chemical structure
Palm, palm kernel and coconut oils:
 Contain more saturated fatty acids than other
plant oils
 Intake saturated fatty acids should not
provide more than 10% energy
 Examples of saturated fatty acids – next
slide.

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Saturated fatty acids contd - sources
Fatty Acid Mol. formula C Sources
 Arachidic C20H40O2 20 Ground-nut oil
 Stearic C18H36O2 18 Most fats and oils
 Palmitic C16H32O2 16 Palm oil
 Myristic C14H28O2 14 Butter, coconut
 Lauric C12H24O2 12 Coconut oil
 Capric C10H20O2 10 Coconut oil
 Caprylic C8H16O2 8 Coconut oil
 Caproic C6H12O2 6 Butter
 Butyric C4H8O2 4 Butter
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Classification on Chemical Structure
Unsaturated Fatty Acids
 General formula:
CnH2n-1COOH or
[Link] or
[Link]
 One or more double bonds in structure
 Susceptible to spoilage - react with air
 Lower melting point than saturated fatty acids

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Classification on Chemical Structure
 Plant and fish oils
 Proportionately more unsaturated fatty
acids than animal fats
 In nature, oleic acid (18 C atoms, one double
bond) most common
 Most fats contain 30 to 65% of their total
fatty acids as oleic.

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Unsaturated fatty acids - contd
 Monounsaturated fatty acids have no effect
on blood cholesterol
 Polyunsaturated fatty acids
 Two or more double bonds
 Help reduce blood cholesterol level
 Less effective in reducing cholesterol than
saturated fatty acids in raising

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Unsaturated fatty acids - contd

 Linoleic acid (C 18, 2 double bonds)

abundant in plant oils
 Cotton seed, groundnut, soybean, corn,
sunflower and safflower oils contain:
 70 to 91% polyunsaturated fatty acids
 only 9 to 26% saturated fatty acids
 Examples next slide.

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Examples: Unsaturated fatty acids & sources
Fatty Acids Mol. C dou- Source
 Caproleic C10H18O2 10 1 Butter fat
 Lauroleic C12H22O2 12 1 Butter fat
 Myristoleic C14H26O2 14 1 Butter fat
 Palmitoleic C16H30O2 16 1 Fish oils, beef
 Oleic C16H30O2 18 1 Most fats, oils
 Elaidic C18H34O2 18 1 Butter fat

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Examples: Unsaturated fatty acids & sources

 Vaccenic C18H34O2 18 1 Butter fat

 Linoleic C18H32O2 18 2 Most veg oils
 Linolenic C16H30O2 18 3 Soybean, Canola
 Cadoleic C20H38O2 20 1 Some fish oils
 Arachidonic C20H32O2 20 4 Lard
 Erucic C22H42O2 22 1 Canola, rapeseed

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Nutritional Classification
Essential Fatty Acids
Cannot be synthesised in human body
 Must be present in diet to provide up to about 3%
energy intake
Precursors for group of hormone-like compounds
 Regulate variety of physiological functions

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Nutritional Classification
 Needed for:
 Cell membranes in all organs of body
 Development of retina
 Development of Central nervous system
 Proper growth in children especially:
 Brain development

 Maturation of sensory systems

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Essential fatty acids - contd
 Linoleic acid, linolenic acid - essential
 Linoleic acid -18 C, 2 double bonds
 Omega-6 fatty acid
 Found in corn and soybean oils
 Precursor of other omega-6 fatty acids
 Indispensable for growth and maintenance
of normal skin
 Converted into gamma-linolenic acid in
human body

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Essential fatty acids
 Linoleic acid
 Deficiency very rare
 Deficiency in infants gives rise to eczema
 Dry thickened and scaly skin with oozing
into body folds
 Changes in hair texture

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Essential fatty acids contd
 Linolenic acid (18 C, 3 double bonds)
 Occurs in small amounts in vegetable
oils, especially linseed (flaxseed, alsi)
 Omega-3 fatty acid
 Helps in formation of cell walls, makes
them flexible

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Essential fatty acids contd
 Improves circulation and oxygen uptake
 At least 1% energy intake be from linolenic
acid – useful if more, upto 3%
 Deficiency rare:
 Skin becomes flaky, itchy

 Retardation of wound healing

 Development of anaemic conditions.

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Nutritional Classification

Non-essential fatty acids

 Except linoleic and linolenic acids - all fatty
acids considered as non-essential
 Available in abundant quantities in foods of:
 Animal origin
 Plant origin
 If deficient, can be synthesised in body.

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 Sources of fats and oils in the diet
 Plant Sources
 Seeds of some plants
 Oil from oilseeds obtained by:
 Extraction - Solvent extraction using hexane
 Expression
 All plant oils contain more unsaturated fatty
acids except palm, palm kernel and coconut
oils

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Classification of plant oils

 Based on dominance of certain fatty acids -

four groups:
 a. Linolenic acid group
 Oils have appreciable amount of linolenic acid
 May also contain oleic and linoleic acids
 Soybean oil - contains 7% linolenic acid and
54% linoleic.

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b. Oleic-Linoleic acid group
Largest, most varied in terms of composition
and characteristics of individual oils
Examples:
 Cottonseed oil (54% linoleic acid)
 Olive oil (8% linoleic and 1% linolenic acids)
 Palm oil (10% linoleic acid)
 Peanut oil (34% linoleic acid)
 Safflower oil (78% linoleic acid)
 Sunflower oil (69% linoleic acid).

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c. Lauric acid group
 Least unsaturated of all commercial edible oils
 Predominantly contain lauric acid
 Contain saturated fatty acids with 8, 10, 14, 16
and 18 carbon atoms
 Examples:
 Coconut oil - 90 to 94% saturated fatty acids
 Palm kernel oil - 83% saturated fatty acids.

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d. Erucic acid group

 Characterised by presence of high quantities

of erucic acid (40 to 55%)
 Suspected physiologically harmful - Retards
growth
 Examples:
 Mustard oil
 Rapeseed oil
 Canola oil - minute quantities.

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Animal sources
 Includes lard and tallow
 1. Lard - Pork body fat, rendered from fatty
tissues of hogs
 2. Tallow - Cattle body fat, obtained from
cattle, lesser extent, sheep and goat
 Both have high content saturated fatty acids
and cholesterol.
Tallow – Generally heat rendered with dry
heat or steam

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 a. Milk fat
3. Milk
 Fat separated as cream, prepare butter
 Butter heat rendered yields ‘ghee’
 Rich source of saturated fatty acids and cholesterol
 Butter fat
 Most complex of all common fats
 Comprises about 184 fatty acids
 Contains cholesterol
 Saturated fatty acids contained help in synthesis of
cholesterol in the body.
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c. Marine oils
 Include oils from:
 Herring
 Menhaden
 Cod (liver)
 Halibut (liver)
 Other fish
 Characteristics - Presence of high
percentage of unsaturated fatty acids
 Helpful in lowering cholesterol level in body.

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Visible and Invisible fats
 Visible - Butter, ghee, margarine, cooking
oils, fat on meat
 Consumer makes selection - eat more or
less
 Invisible - Milk, milk products, nuts, lean
meat, other animal and vegetable foods
 Nutritional significance - Consumer eats
without taking into account quantity
 Especially calorie conscious persons to
avoid.

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