DEFINITION AND

PROPERTIES OF
LIPIDS
By
Jasthene R. Angeles
What is Lipids?
• Came from the Greek
word ‘Lipos’ which
means fat.
• Any of a group of
chemical substances
known as lipids—which
are fatty acids or their
derivatives—that are
soluble in organic
solvents but insoluble in
water.
• Lipids have a variety of roles in the body, including
energy storage, signaling, and serving as structural
elements of cell membranes. Lipids are used in the
food and cosmetics sectors, as well as
innanotechnology.
• Small molecules that are hydrophobic or amphiphilic
can be widely referred to as lipids. Some lipids can
form vesicles, multilamellar/unilamellar liposomes, or
membranes in an aqueous environment due to their
amphiphilic nature.
Who was the
first person to
discover lipids?
Michel
Chevreul –
the father of
lipid
chemistry
• While tasked with inspecting a sample of
soap, he made the discovery of lipids. He
found that after treating the soap with
hydrochloric acid and dissolving it in water,
the insoluble organic acids separated and
formed a floating layer. He subsequently
provided evidence that this layer was made
up of various unique fatty acids.
PROPERTIES OF LIPIDS
General Properties of Lipids
They are soluble in non-polar solvents, such as ether,
alcohol, chloroform, acetone, and benzene.
Lipids are insoluble in water.
• Lipid molecules have no ionic charges.
• Pure fats and oils are colorless, odorless, and
tasteless.
• Lipids are considered hydrophobic or amphiphilic
small molecules.
Lipids are greasy in texture and stored in adipose
tissues inside the body.
Lipids are either liquid or non-crystalline solid at room
temperature.
• Lipids can either be present in saturated (having only
single bonds) or unsaturated (having one or more
double bonds) structural form.
Chemical Properties of Lipids
1. Hydrolysis of triglycerides: Triglycerides (neutral lipids) on
reacting with water form carboxylic acid and alcohol.
2. Saponification: Triglycerides on hydrolysis with alkali (NaOH
or KOH) or lipase enzymes (termed alkaline hydrolysis) lead to
the formation of two products: soap or fatty acid salts of
sodium or potassium, and glycerol.
3. Hydrogenation: The breakage of double bonds occurs after
the reaction of unsaturated fatty acids with hydrogen. This
turns the molecules into saturated fatty acids.
4. Halogenation: Free or combined fatty acids in the
reaction with halogens gain double bonds and cause
decolorization of halogen solutions.
5. Rancidity: Oxidation and hydrolysis of fats and oil to
generate a disagreeable odor – this is known as
rancidity.
That’s all.
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YOU FOR
LISTENING.