Saturated fatty acids examples

Fats and oils may be synthesized in enantiomerically pure forms in the laboratory (30) or derived from vegetable sources (mainly from nuts, beans, and seeds), animal depot fats, fish, or marine mammals. Oils obtained from other sources differ markedly in their fatty acid distribution. Table 2 shows compositions for a wide variety of oils. One variation in composition is the chain length of the fatty acid. Butterfat, for example, has a fairly high concentration of short- and medium-chain saturated fatty acids. Oils derived from cuphea are also a rich source of capric acid which is considered to be medium in chain length (32). Palm kernel and coconut oils are known as lauric oils because of their high content of C-12 saturated fatty acid (lauric acid). Rapeseed oil, on the other hand, has a fairly high concentration of long-chain (C-20 and C-22) fatty acids. 

Typically, soHd stabilizers utilize natural saturated fatty acid ligands with chain lengths of Cg—C g. Ziac stearate [557-05-1/, ziac neodecanoate [27253-29-8] calcium stearate [1592-23-0] barium stearate [6865-35-6] and cadmium laurate [2605-44-9] are some examples. To complete the package, the soHd products also contain other soHd additives such as polyols, antioxidants, and lubricants. Liquid stabilizers can make use of metal soaps of oleic acid, tall oil acids, 2-ethyl-hexanoic acid, octylphenol, and nonylphenol. Barium bis(nonylphenate) [41157-58-8] ziac 2-ethyIhexanoate [136-53-8], cadmium 2-ethyIhexanoate [2420-98-6], and overbased barium tallate [68855-79-8] are normally used ia the Hquid formulations along with solubilizers such as plasticizers, phosphites, and/or epoxidized oils. The majority of the Hquid barium—cadmium formulations rely on barium nonylphenate as the source of that metal. There are even some mixed metal stabilizers suppHed as pastes. The U.S. FDA approved calcium—zinc stabilizers are good examples because they contain a mixture of calcium stearate and ziac stearate suspended ia epoxidized soya oil. Table 4 shows examples of typical mixed metal stabilizers. 

Saturated fatty acids may be envisaged as based on acetic acid (CId3—COOH) as the first member of the series in which —CHj— is progressively added between the terminal CHj— and —COOH groups. Examples are shown in Table 14-1. Other higher members of the series are known to occur, particularly in waxes. A few branched-chain fatty acids have also been Isolated from both plant and animal sources. 

Lipids contain saturated and unsaturated fatty acids and can be either liquid or solid. Which of these lipids is an example of a triglyceride mixture that contains mostly saturated fatty acids ... 

Table 12.1 Examples of straight chain saturated fatty acids - C H2n + i-COOH...

Once an enzyme-catalysed reaction has occurred the product is released and its engagement with the next enzyme in the sequence is a somewhat random event. Only rarely is the product from one reaction passed directly onto the next enzyme in the sequence. In such cases, enzymes which catalyse consecutive reactions, are physically associated or aggregated with each other to form what is called a multi enzyme complex (MEC). An example of this arrangement is evident in the biosynthesis of saturated fatty acids (described in Section 6.30). Another example of an organized arrangement is one in which the individual enzyme proteins are bound to membrane, as for example with the ATP-generating mitochondrial electron transfer chain (ETC) mechanism. Intermediate substrates (or electrons in the case of the ETC) are passed directly from one immobilized protein to the next in sequence. 

This finding has been replicated several times in clinical studies. Let me cite one example. In a careful metabolic study carried out in 1990, Mensink and Katan determined the plasma LDL/HDL ratio when 10% of the energy from oleic acid was replaced in the diet by either the corresponding trans fat or the corresponding saturated fatty acid, stearic acid. The resulting LDL/HDL ratios were 2.02 on the oleic acid diet, 2.34 on the stearic acid diet, and 2.58 on the trans fatty acid diet. This is one more example of the impact of small structural changes in molecules on their biological properties. 

This structure shows a triglyceride with three identical saturated fatty acids. Tripalmitin, in which all fatty acids are palmitic acid (n = 14), provides one example of a fat. Triolein is an oil containing only oleic acid moieties esterified to glycerol. In contrast to these two examples, it is by no means necessary that the three fatty acid groups be derived from only one fatty acid. For example, we might have a triglyceride that contains one saturated fatty acid, say palmitic acid, one monounsaturated fatty acid, say oleic acid, and one polyunsaturated fatty acid, perhaps arachidonic acid. 

Ci8 unsaturated), and only relatively small amounts of saturated fatty acids. Animal fats have a much higher proportion of saturated fatty acid derivatives, but they still contain a substantial level of unsaturated fatty acids. The fatty acid analysis of butterfat, for example, shows it contains about 28% oleic acid. 

Both maternal and infant factors determine the final amount of drug present in the nursing child s body at any particular time. Variations in the daily amount of milk formed within the breast (e.g., changes in blood flow to the breast) as well as alterations in breast mUk pH wUl affect the total amount of drug found in mUk. In addition, composition of the milk will be affected by the maternal diet for example, a high-carbohydrate diet will increase the content of saturated fatty acids in milk. 

Phospholipid vesicles (and bilayers) composed of phospholipids with well-defined fatty acid side chains undergo a sharp transition from a crystallinelike state to an amorphous state as the temperature is raised.107 The transition temperature depends on the nature of the fatty acid side chains. For example, for C12 saturated fatty acid chains on lecithin the transition temperature is 0° and for C18 saturated fatty acid chains it is 58°C for unsaturated lecithins the transition temperature is below zero.107 For real membranes sharp phase transitions are not observed, because of the heterogeneous composition of the membrane. In the case of /3 hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase, the enzymic activity apparently is not influenced by this phase transition as judged by the temperature dependence of the reaction rate. However, for some membrane-bound proteins, a plot of the reaction rate versus the reciprocal temperature... 

Energy yield from fatty acid oxidation The energy yield from ihe P-oxidation pathway is high. For example, the oxidation of a molecule of palmitoyl CoA to C02 and H20 yields 131 AIRs (Figure 16.19). A comparison of the processes of synthesis and degradation of saturated fatty acids with an even number of car bon atoms is provided in Figure 16.20. 

Trans fatty acids Trans fatty acids (Figure 27.13) are chemically classified as unsaturated fatty acids, but behave more like saturated fatty acids in the body, that is, they elevate serum LDL (but not HDL), and they increase the risk of CHD. Trans fatty acids do not occur naturally in plants and only occur in small amounts in animals. However, trans fatty acids are formed during the hydrogenation of liquid vegetable oils, for example, in the manufacture of margarine. 

It is important to bear in mind when discussing the effect of dairy fat in association to heart disease that dairy products contain many different saturated fatty acids that do not exert the same biological response in terms of, for example, cholesterol levels. The saturated fatty acids in milk fat include shorter and medium chain fatty acids (2 0-10 0), lauric acid (12 0), myristic acid (14 0), palmitic acid (16 0), and stearic acid (18 0). Other fatty acids in milk fat are oleic acid (18 1) and linoleic acid (18 2n-6) as indicated in Table 1.2. 

Figure 12.22 gives the most common saturated fatty acids. The IUPAC names are given first. For dodecanoic acid, C12F12402, the parent chain has twelve carbons (do = 2 + deca = 10). The common names of the fatty acids are roughly derived from fats and oils that are rich in that fatty acid. For example, palm and palm kernel oils are rich in palmitic acid. Beef tallow is rich in stearic acid. Although stearic sounds a little bit like steers, it is derived from the Greek word for tallow. 

In the melanogaster subgroup, the same enzyme Desatl seems to be involved in the first desaturation step of pheromone synthesis (Figure 4.7), even if the specificity concerning the desaturation is somewhat modified (for example, in D. erecta, stearic acid is used for the first desaturation, instead of palmitic acid as in other species). In other Drosophila species, other enzymes could be involved Desat2 in D. ananassae and another yet unknown desaturase in D. virilis. The position of the double bond on carbon 11 in the latter species could indicate either that the desaturase acts on C20 saturated fatty acid, or that it has another unknown specificity, resembling the unusual specificities of some lepidopteran desaturases. 

In the SC lipids form two crystalline lamellar phases.27 The mixture of both phases produces the optimal barrier to water loss from SC. The balance between the liquid crystalline and the solid crystal phases is determined by the degree of fatty acid unsaturation, the amount of water, and probably by other yet undiscovered factors. A pure liquid crystal system, produced by an all-unsaturated fatty acid mixture, allows a rapid water loss through the bilayers with a moderate barrier action. The solid system produced with an all-saturated fatty acid mixture causes an extreme water loss due to breaks in the solid crystal phase.6,23 Studies with mixtures prepared with isolated ceramides revealed that cholesterol and ceramides are very important for the formation of the lamellar phases, and the presence of ceramide 1 is crucial for the formation of the long-periodicity phase.27 The occurrence of dry skin associated with cold, dry weather for example, may result from an extensive, elevated level of skin lipids in the solid state. Therefore, a material that maintains a higher proportion of lipid in the liquid crystalline state may be an effective moisturizer.6... 

Biodiesel made from feedstocks containing large concentrations of long-chain saturated fatty acids will have very poor cold flow properties. Less expensive feedstocks such as palm oil or tallow (see Table 1.3) may not be feasible in moderate temperature climates. In contrast, feedstocks with lower concentrations of long-chain saturated fatty acids yield biodiesel with more attractive cold flow properties. For example, biodiesel from canola, linseed, olive, rape-seed, and safflower oils have CP and PP close to or below 0°C (Table 1.3). 

The names of common fatty acids under several conventions, carbon numbers, and selected properties are shown in Table 34.1. The common (trivial) names of some fatty acids are of long standing, and often indicate the initial source studied. As examples butyric acid is a major component of butter flavor the 6, 8, and 10 saturated fatty acids have been called the goaty acids because they impart the characteristic flavors of goat and... 

The positioning of fatty acids on the triglyceride chain follows several patterns. If unsaturated fatty acids are limited in availability, nature tends to place them in the number 2 position to obtain the lowest melting point for a plant s triglycerides. If more plentiful, the preferred positions will be 2 and 1 or 3 or both.44 In contrast, saturated fatty acids are more likely to be in the 2 position in fats of warm-blooded animals, with palmitic acid in the 2 position in (pork) lard as an example. 

Organic compounds with the general formula R-OH are called alcohols. An example of an alcohol is glycerol. It has three OH groups and is called a triol and has the formula 0HCH2CH(0H)CH20H. When glycerol reacts with a saturated fatty acid, fats are typically formed. Fats are solid substances. When the product of the reaction is not a solid, it is called oil. 

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