DIGESTION AND ABSORPTION OF LIPIDS

Chyme is a thick semi liquid material made up of small triacylglycerol globules, other partially
digested in food, and gastric secretions.
High fat food remain in the stomach longer than low fat foods.
Lipid digestion begins at the stomach. Under the help of gastric lipase enzymes, hydrolysis of
TAGs occurs.
The arrival of chime in the small intestines with the help of the hormone cholecystokinin,
stored bile is released in the gallbladder, in which it acts as an emulsifier.
Colloid particle formation through bile emulsification, the triacylglycerol globules, and digestion
of the TAGs resumes.
With the help of bile, the free fatty acids and monoacylglycerols produced form hydrolysis and
are combined into spherical shapes call micelles.
Fatty Acid Micelle – a micelle in which fatty acids and monoacylglycerols, and
some bile are present.
Micelles containing free fatty acid ad monoacylglycerol components, are small enough to be
readily absorbed through the membranes of intestinal cells.
A chylomicron is a lipoprotein that transports triacylglycerol from the intestinal cells, via
lymphatic system, to the blood stream
Once the chylomicrons reach the bloodstream, the TAGs they carry are again hydrolyzed to
produce glycerol and free fatty acids.
Soon after a heavy meal laden with TAGs is ingested, the chylomicron content of both blood
and lymph increases dramatically.

Stocker, S. (2017).Biochemistry:Lipid metabolism. Pages 338-340. C&E Publishing, Inc.