CP 511 : Food Chemistry – Lipids

Dr. Charitha Gamlath (charithag@eng.pdn.ac.lk)

Contents
• Lipid structure and functionality
• Lipid degradation during food processing
• Use of lipids as a food ingredient
 Basics and classification
• Lipids are formed from structural units with a pronounced hydrophobicity
• Generally found as oils, fats and waxes
• Soluble in organic solvents

Saponifiable lipids : Non-saponifiable lipids:

Contain an “acyl” group Simple nonpolar compounds that do not contain an ‘acyl’ group
e.g. Sterols, carotenoids, waxes
e.g. Glycerolipids, phospholipids
Releases aliphatic carboxylic acid (fatty acid) upon hydrolysis

TAG

Belitz, H-D., Werner Grosch, and Peter Schieberle Food chemistry. Springer, Berlin.
 Fatty acids
• An aliphatic organic chain (generally unbranched) with a carboxylic acid head group

• Food oils and fats have a fatty acid profile

• Functionality and reactivity are governed by the length and the level of saturation of the fatty acid

Short chain : 2-4 carbons

Medium chain: 6-10 carbons

Long chain: 12-26 carbons

Unsaturated : double bonds are present in the chain. Presence of double bonds give cis and trans confirmations

Saturated : no double bonds in the chain

• IUPAC notation

18:2(9,12) 9 6 ω
9 12 1
α Linoleic acid
Belitz, H-D., Werner Grosch, and Peter Schieberle Food chemistry. Springer, Berlin. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/physics-and-astronomy/fatty-acids
 Fatty acids - examples

Belitz, H-D., Werner Grosch, and Peter Schieberle Food chemistry.

 Fatty acid profiles - examples
Vegetable oils Fish oil
Milk fats

Douvartzides, Savvas L., et al 2019; Ribeiro, C. V. D. M., et al. 2011; Moffat, C., & McGill, A 1993
 Glycerolipids (acyl glycerides) vs Phospholipids
Glycerolipids Phospholipids

• Make “fats” (solid) and oils (liquid) • Highly surface active

• DAGs and MAGs are somewhat surface active. But TAGs are hydrophobic • Present in biological membranes (eg: Native milk fat globule membrane)

Triacylglycerides Diacylglycerides Monoacylglycerides

• TAGs have a ‘tuning fork’ conformation (middle acyl chain opposite to other
chains)
• In liquid form TAGs move and are randomly oriented
• Acyl composition
Longer = higher MP
More saturated = higher MP
• In crystalline form they are tightly packed in a regular repeating pattern
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/glycerolipid
 Lipid degradation
Lipolysis Autooxidation
• Enzymatic (lipase) or thermal hydrolytic cleavge of ester links • A radical catalysed reaction between
between the glycerol and the fatty acid chains. oxygen and the unsaturated lipids to
• Free fatty acids (Short-medium chain) are volatile and have aroma form a lipid hydro-peroxide, which then
• Formation can lead to off flavours. undergoes further reactions.
• Free fatty acids are not present in high quantities in normal food • Results in lipid peroxides (innocuous)
oils. which then spontaneously break down to
various aldehydes (smelly).
To avoid:
• Separate the enzymes from the oils
• Thermally inactivate the enzymes Antioxidants:

• If formed, free fatty acids can be converted to soaps at high pH • Often present in native systems (plant and animal tissue)

(i.e., sodium salts) and extracted to remove unwanted flavour • May have to be added to processed food systems
• Two main classes of anti-oxidants:
Molecules that prevent action of catalysts (e.g. metal chelators)
Molecules that are oxidised preferentially to the lipid

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lipid_peroxidation#mediaviewer/File:Lipid_peroxidation.svg
 Lipid degradation
Hydrogenation Heating
• The unsaturated double bonds in the fatty acid react with • Deep frying involves holding oils at high temperatures (e.g. 150-190 °C)
hydrogen atoms in the presence of a catalyst • Chemical alterations can include: polymerisation, isomerization,
• Converts liquid vegetable oils to solid or partially solid fats. autooxidation, hydrolysis
• Heat stability is improved with higher levels of saturation

Choe and Min Journal of Food Science 2007

 Lipids as a food ingredient
• Contains the highest energy density out of carbohydrates, proteins and lipids
• Contribute to food texture (e.g. pleasant creamy and oily mouthfeel
• Contributes to flavor and aroma

• Solubilize many flavor and aroma compounds

• Ability to reach high temperatures
• Phospholipids are surface active and used as emulsifiers
Belitz, H-D., Werner Grosch, and Peter Schieberle Food chemistry. Springer, Berlin.