Lipid Metabolism-2

Digestion & Absorption of Lipids

Mr. Wong Gou Rean

Learning Outcomes:
• At the end of the lectures, student should be able to:
i. briefly describe the digestion of lipids.
ii. briefly describe the absorption of lipids.
iii. state the abnormality related to digestion and absorption of lipids.
Overview of lipid digestion
Digestion of lipids
• Emulsification: a process where a large molecule is broken down to tiny
molecule
• Lipid: insoluble in water
• Enzymes: proteins with polar regions and charges
• Key enzymes:
Lipase: digest TAG, FA,
Lingual
Gastric
Pancreatic
Intestinal
Phospholipase
Cholesterol ester hydrolase
Processing of dietary lipid in oral cavity and
stomach
• Limited digestion
• Lingual lipase is present in small
amount
• Majority of digestion takes place in
the stomach is protein digestion.
• Enterogastrone regulate the
movement of food to enter the
intestine
Emulsification of dietary lipid in the small
intestine
• Majority of lipid digestion takes place at
duodenum.
Key components:
• Enterogastrone (stomach hormone)
- Control food movement
• Cholecytokinin (stomach hormone)
- Contraction of gall bladder
- Promote secrete of pancreatic lipase
- Degreases gastric movement
• Conjugated bile salts (made in the liver and
stored at gallbladder)
- detergent effect=emulsification
• Peristalsis
- contraction of digestive tract muscles
(mechanical mixing)
 Degradation of dietary lipids by pancreatic
enzymes in duodenum
• Role of Secretin (small peptide hormone)
• Regulate the release bicarbonate from
pancreas and bile
• Neutralize HCl from stomach
• dietary TAG, cholesteryl esters, and
phospholipids are enzymically degraded by
pancreatic enzymes (pH 6.2-7):

Triacylglycerol->monoacylglycerol + 2FAs
Cholesteryl ester-> cholesterol + FA
Phospholipid -> lysophospholipid + FA
Lysophosplipid > glycerylphosphoryl + FA
 Absorption in small
intestine via lipid micelles
• Large quantities of water are secreted into the lumen of the small
intestine during the digestive process.

cholesterol
FA FA Intestinal Lumen
MAG
lysophospholipid

enterocytes

Blood vessel

Lacteal (Lymphatic capillary)

Absorption in small intestine via lipid micelles
• Short chain and medium FA (3-8
carbons): absorbed directly into
enterocyte without transporter
Micellar formation:
• Oil droplets and
lysophospholipid form a micelle
• Micelle facilitate hydrophobic
lipid diffused into enterocytes enterocytes
• Bile salts are absorbed in the
terminal ileum, less than 5% lost
in feces
 Resynthesis of TAG and cholesteryl esters from
degraded lipids (lipolysis products) in enterocytes
MAG+FA=TAG
Cholesterol+FA=cholesteryl
esters
lysophospholipid
Fat-soluble Vitamin
Role of lipoprotein:

Blood vessel
(MAG, cholesterol, FA, hydrophilic proteins

Lacteal
lysophospholipid, Fat-
soluble Vitamin etc)
carry TAG in blood
(chylomicron)
Chylomicron
(lipoprotein)
Short and medium-
chain FA
Short and medium-chain FA
Intestinal Enterocyte
Lumen
 Journey of chylomicrons
• Chylomicrons follow the
lymphatic system to the
thoracic duct and are then
conveyed to the left
subclavian vein, where they
enter the blood.
• Chylomicrons travel in the
blood circulation, releasing
their contents (dietary lipids)
to peripheral tissues.
• As they deliver these
nutrients, chylomicrons
gradually diminish in size.
Eventually, they reach the liver
Diseases associated with lipid digestion
• Steatorrhea: Lipid malabsorption increased lipid in feces
• Defective absorptions
• Coeliac disease: body stops taking nutrient, gluten free diet is associated with
elevated cholesterol level.
• Chyluria: a large amount of lipid absorbed into the blood, presence of
chyle in the urine stream
Fish-induced keriorrhea
• Mislabelled cod or tuna fish in market
• “white tuna”,”butter fish”
• Escolar contains indigestible wax-ester
• “Explosive oily orange diarrhea”

Lepidocybium flavobrunneum (Escolar)

Summary of lipid digestion & absorption
• Break down of triacylglycerol in oral cavity, stomach and small
intestine
• Re-esterified into form TAG or other lipid esters in the enterocytes
• Formation of chylomicron in enterocytes
• Chylomicron released by exocytosis from enterocytes into lymphatic
vessels
• Chylomicron secreted into the bloodstream at the thoracic ducts