Speaker: Dr. B.L.A.

Prabhavathi Devi
Topic: Food & Nutrition: Role of Lipids

Lipids are naturally occurring compounds that play an important role in

living beings, obtained from plants and animals. Lipids are natural as well as
synthetic and are made up of fatty acids and glycerol. Fatty acids can be
classified into different categories such as saturated, monounsaturated fatty
acids (MUFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and trans-fat. Bad
cholesterol is increased with saturated fatty acid and reduced by MUFA &
PUFA. PUFA is the most important one as our body cannot synthesize on its
own. So, it has to be consumed externally and also its consumption prevents
from Heart Disease, Hypertension, and cancer and helps in growth &
development.
Lipids prevent us from many diseases and its main function is to provide
energy storage, insulation and lubrication. It also acts as precursor for some
hormones in cell membranes. Human body is mainly made up of water and
although lipids play an important role for healthy and proper functioning of
our body but being hydrophobic in nature it reduces its solubility in water. So,
if consumed in excess can accumulate in the body causing many health issues.
So, in order to ensure that every component present in oils and in lipids are in
appropriate proportion at the same time keeping its functional and nutritional
value high is of extreme importance for which refining of oils and fats is
essential so many research and technology are being developed.

Speaker: Dr N. Lingaiah
Topic: The role of Catalysis in Sustainable development
Due to modernization and Increasing population the chemical and
energy sectors including Agro, Petro chemicals, polymers, etc are
passing through many challenges such as stringent environmental
regulations, Increase in production within the same infrastructure
and reduction in carbon footprints. Sustainability is meeting the
needs of present generation without compromising the needs of
future generation and to attend this goal we need to develop Green
chemistry in which Technologies that are energy efficient ,minimises
or preferably eliminate the waste, avoid the use of toxic and
hazardous solvent and reagents , wherever possible utilisation of raw
materials is done and to acquire all this catalysis plays a major role.
Catalyst is the tool for Green chemistry to achieve sustainable
development. Catalyst are the substance which speeds up the
chemical reaction by providing alternate Pathways with low
activation energy. There are three main types of catalyst
homogeneous, heterogeneous and biocatalyst Heterogeneous
catalyst are used in small amount without solvent gives product with
high yield, purity, selectivity and generation of waste is minimum so
Hetero catalyst holds more importance over homogeneous. Green
chemistry is trying to make use renewable energy sources to get
Chemicals and energy. Future challenges in green chemistry are: -
1) To replace oxidizing agents such as potassium permanganate,
magnesium oxide with molecular oxygen or hydrogen peroxide
and reducing metal hydrides with molecular hydrogen.
2) Combustion of coal and Municipal solid waste (MSW) give rise
to Syngas which can be converted into liquid fuel
3) Methanol is oxygenated fuel so the carbon dioxide released
during combustion of MSW and coal on treatment with water
can produce methanol.
4) Solar energy can be used to electrolyte water and produce
hydrogen more efficiently.
5) Adsorbents which can absorb carbon dioxide and convert it
into different useful products are being looked for.