STRUCTURE OF FATS

fats like carbohydrates, are composed of atoms of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, but they are arranged in different patternsand propotions fats are formed by the combination of glycerol with fatty acid, each unit of glycerol combining with three fatty acid units to give a triglyceride (triacylglycerol). many different fatty acid occur. they can be divided into three types : saturated fatty acid, monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids. a triglyceride can contain three identical fatty acids or a mixture of different fatty acids. 1 molecule glycerol + 3 molecules fatty acids ---> 1 molecule triglyceride (fat) and water it is the particular types and combination of fatty acids which give each type of fats its own identity and physical properties. the fats with which we are familiar, for example in butter,lard, and olive oil, are mixtures of triglycerides. examples of the fatty acids occurring in dietary fats are stearic,palmatic and oleic acids

hydrogenation of fatty acids the carbon atoms in the hydrocarbon cain of the fatty acid part of the triglyceride molecule can be linked by 'single' or 'double' bonds. if all the bonds are single the fatty acid is called saturated ; if double bonds are present (i.e there are hydrogen atoms missing) the fatty acis unsaturated. if only one double bond is present, the fatty acid is monounsaturated. the fatty acids of saturated fats are more stable than those of unsaturated fats. the double bonds in unsaturated fatty acids can be converted to single bonds; this process is known as hydrogenation.

saturated and unsaturated fats the fatty acids present in most soft fats and oil contain less hydrogen than those in the harder fats and an therefore referred to as being unsaturated. more hydrogen can be introduced into their structure be chemical means. this process of hydrogenation alted both the chemical structure and the physical properties of the fat, making it harder and raising its melting point. margarine is produced by the hydrogenation of oils such as palm oil, corn oil, and soya oil.

cis and trans forms of fats if a fat contains a double bond, as in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat, it can exist in two isomer forms. these are known as the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids occurring naturally to exist in the cis form. the exception to this is the fat present in some meats. this is because the cis form is converted to the trans form in the stomach of some ruminant. however, when polyunsaturated fats are hydrogenated to be used for margarines and in the food industry they usually adopt the tans form. it has been suggested that an increased intake of trans fatty acid may be linked to an increased insidence of coronary heart disease.

ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS certain polyunsaturated fatty acids are needed by the body and are known as the essential fatty acids are linoleic and alpha-linoleni. arachidonic eicosapentanoic and decosahexanoic acid can all be manucfatured from linoleic and alpha-linolenic acid, but if the supply of linoleic and alphalinolenic acids is limited,they then become essential fatty acids. arachidonic,eicosapentanoic and decosahexanoid acids are precusors of prostaglandins, thromboxan which promotes platelet aggregation in clotting, an leukotrienes. the use of long-chain n-3 fatty acids (derived from alpha-linolenic acid) to treat the inflanmatory condition rheumatoid arthritis, and for asthma, psoriasis and crohn's disease has therefore been researched. vitamin E is important in preventing oxidation of essential fatty acids in the body,thus preserving the chemical structure.

STEROLS sterols are also made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms, but arranged in a different configuration of fats. the atoms are arranged in a series of four rings with a range of side-chains. the principal sterol found in animaltissue is cholesterol. this sterol is not found in plants; over 40 sterols have been identified in plants and these are known as ohytosterols. the average UK diet contains approximately 0.25 g plant sterols and 0.3 g cholesterol per day

cholestrol cholestrol is synthesised in the body and is also obtained from the diet. it occurs in association with animal tissues and, in the UK, the principal dietary sources are full-fat dairy products, fatty meat, egg yolks, and offal. cholesterol is excreted from the body in the bile, where it is held in solution by combining with bile salts. if it is precipitated out of solution, it appears in solid form as gallstones. hegsted et al (1965) were able to show that an increase in saturated fatty acids leads to a rise serum cholesterol.

phytosterols the most abudantly occuring phytosterols are beta sitosterols, campesterol and stigmasterol. they reduce absorption of cholesterol for space in the micelles. this has led to the development of polyunsaturated margarines that contain additional sterols for use in the primary prevention of ischaemic heart disease

PHOSPOLIPIDS essential fatty acids are part of phospolipids, which have these important functions : - maintaining the structure and function of cell membranes - regulating cholesterol metabolism phospolipids occur in small amounts in most foods. eggs,liver,pulses and nuts are particulary rich sources of them. the most commonly occuring phospolipids is phosphatidylcholine, the richest dietary source of which is eggs. the chemical structure of phospolipids enables them to act as emulsifying agents. they are important components of cell membranes and lipoproteins.

LIPOPROTEINS fats,cholesterol, phospolipids and fatty acids are in soluble in water, but in blood plasma they form soluble combinations with some of the plasma proteins, and in this form they are known as lipoproteins.

RANDICITY AND SOLUBILITY OF FATS fats are insoluble in water, but in certain circumstances will form a suspensions of minute particles known as an emulsion. this process takes place during the digestion of fats in the intestine. randicity in dairy fats due to the liberation of free fatty acids, some f which have a disagreeable odour and flavour, resulting from hydrolysis of the triglycerides by bacteria. exposure to the oxygen of the air causes unsaturated fats in meat, fish oils, and non dairy fats to become oxidised and develop rancidity.

DIETARY SOURCES OF FATS AND ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS most vegetable and marine oils are good sources of essential fatty acids. a dietary survey of UK adults in 1990 showed that they obtained their essential fatty acids from vegetables, fruit, nuts, cereal products and fat spreads. fats are derived from both animal and vegetable sources. fats and oils have similiar structures. fats which are liquid below 20 c are called oils. fish and vegetable fats are referred to as oils, as they are liquid at room temperature. meats fats include beef dripping, suet, mutton fat and lard(pork fat). dairy fats include milk and its products, cream, butter and cheese. these contain cholesterol, either in the free form combined with glycerol to form an ester. eggs also contain cholesterol.