Fatty acid melting point trends

We have also studied the effect of temperature on the acyl specificities and selectlvltles of cocoa microsomal G-3-PAT and DAGAT. The data from these experiments indicate that both enzymes show broad specifications for the three most common fatty acids present in cocoa butter palmitic, stearic, and oleic. A trend of increasing selectivity for the unsaturated fatty acid at lower assay temperatures is evident and may be related to the observance of lower melting point cocoa butter obtained from seeds grown in cooler climates (Alvlm and Berbert, 1972). 

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