CLASSES of LIPIDS

SIMPLE LIPIDS
• Fatty Acids
• Triglycerides
• Waxes
COMPOUND LIPIDS
• Phospholipids
DERIVED LIPIDS
• Sterols
 FATTY ACIDS
• Key building blocks for lipids
• Chains of carbon atoms with a
carboxyl group at one end, and a
methyl group at the other
• May be “free” or attached to another
compound
• Determine the characteristics of the
fat
 FATTY ACIDS
CHAIN LENGTH
• Short chain = less than 6 carbons
• Medium chain = 6-10 carbons
• Long chain = 12 or more carbons
• The shorter the carbon chain, the
more liquid the fatty acid is
 FATTY ACIDS
SATURATION
• SATURATED FATTY ACID =If all
the carbon atoms in the chain are
joined with single bonds, and the
remaining bonds are attached to
hydrogen
 FATTY ACIDS
SATURATION
• UNSATURATED FATTY ACID =
If adjoining carbons are joined by
double bonds
 FATTY ACIDS
UNSATURATED
• One double bond = monounsaturated
fatty acid
• Two or more double bonds =
polyunsaturated fatty acid
 FATTY ACIDS
• Long-chain saturated fatty acids stack
tightly and form solids at room
temperature
• Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated
fatty acids don’t stack compactly and are
liquid at room temperature
• Short-chain saturated fatty acids are also
liquid at room temperature
 FATTY ACIDS
TWO TYPES OF BOND FORMATION:
• CIS - hydrogens on the carbons joined by
a double bond are on the same side = the
carbon chain is bent
• TRANS – hydrogens on the carbons
joined by a double bond are on the
opposite side = the carbon chain is
straighter
 FATTY ACIDS
• Omega-3 Fatty Acid – double bond
at carbon 3
• Omega-6 Fatty Acid – double bond
at carbon 6
• Omega-9 Fatty Acid – double bond
at carbon 9
• *count carbons from the methyl
(omega) end
 Omega 3

 Omega 6

 Omega 9
 FATTY ACIDS
• Nonessential Fatty Acids – our body can
make certain fatty acids so they are not
required in the diet
• Essential Fatty Acids – our bodies cannot
make C-C double bonds before the 9th
carbon from the methyl end, so we must
get these fatty acids from our diet
• EFAS = omega-6 linoleic acid & omega-3
alpha-linolenic acid
 FATTY ACIDS
• Omega-3: Alpha-Linolenic Acid
(ALA), Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA),
Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA)
• Omega-6: Linoleic Acid, Arachidonic
Acid
 Sources of Omega-3
Fatty Acids
• Flaxseed, soybean oil, walnuts,
some leafy dark green
vegetables (ALA)
• Fatty fish: salmon, tuna, and
mackerel, fish oils (EPA and
DHA)
 Sources of Omega-6
Fatty Acids
• Seeds, nuts, common
vegetable oils: corn, safflower,
cottonseed, sunflower seed,
peanut (linoleic acid)
• Meat (arachidonic acid)
 FATTY ACIDS
EICOSANOIDS
• A small percentage of fatty acids
become eicosanoids
• They contain 20 or more carbons
and are important in the
inflammatory process, blood vessel
dilation and constriction, and blood
clotting
 EICOSANOIDS
Omega-6s
• Linoleic acid is converted to
arachidonic acid and
eicosanoids are formed.
• Overall effect: constricting blood
vessels, promoting
inflammation and blood clotting
 EICOSANOIDS
Omega-3s
• Alpha-linolenic acid is converted to
eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) and
docosahexanoic acid (DHA) and
eicosanoids are formed
• Overall effect: dilating blood
vessels, discouraging blood
clotting, and reducing inflammation
 TRIGLYCERIDES
STRUCTURE
• Triglyceride - three fatty acids
attached to a glycerol backbone
• Diglyceride – two fatty acids +glycerol
• Monoglyceride – one fatty acid
+glycerol
Fatty Acids Triglyceride
 TRIGLYCERIDES
FUNCTIONS
• Major lipid in the body and diet
• Stored fat provides about 60% of the
body’s resting energy needs –
compactly!
• Insulation and protection
• Carrier of fat-soluble compounds
• Sensory qualities – flavor and texture
 Compound Lipids:
PHOSPHOLIPIDS
• Contain a glycerol bonded to two fatty
acids
• The phosphate group is hydrophilic while
the fatty acids groups are lipophilic
• Because of this structure, phospholipids
are ideal emulsifiers, and the perfect
structure for cell membranes
 Functions
Cell Membranes
• Phosholipids are the major component of cell
membranes
• Fatty acids, choline, as well as other substances
are bound in the phospholipid layer
Lipid Transport
• In the stomach
• In the intestine
• In the bloodstream, and the lymphatic system
 Protein Channel

 Hydrophilic

 Hydrophobic

 Hydrophilic
 Functions
Emulsifiers
Lecithins are used by the food industry to:
• Combine foods that wouldn’t normally mix
• Increase dispersion and reduce fat
separation
• Increase shelf-life, prolong flavor release,
and prevent such products as gum from
sticking to teeth
 Phospholipids in Foods
• A typical diet contains only about 2 grams
per day
• Lecithin (phosphatidylcholine) is the major
phospholipid and is found in:
• Liver, egg yolk, soybeans, peanuts,
legumes, spinach, and wheat germ
• Usually lost during food processing
 Derived Lipids: STEROLS
• Sterols are hydrocarbons with a
multiple ring structure
• They are hydrophobic and lipophilic
• Contain no fatty acids
• Cholesterol is the best-known
sterol, found only in animal
products
 CHOLESTEROL: Functions
• Major component of cell membranes
(especially abundant in nerve and brain
tissue)
• Precursor molecule: Example - Vitamin D
and estrogen are synthesized from
cholesterol
• Important in the synthesis of bile acids
 CHOLESTEROL: Synthesis
• The liver manufactures most of the
cholesterol in our bodies
• The intestine and all cells contribute a
small amount
• Overall, the body produces about 1000 mg
per day
• Serum cholesterol levels are
homeostatically controlled (set-point)
 DIGESTION
• Mouth: chewing, lingual lipase, and dietary
phospholipids
• Stomach: gastric lipase
• Small Intestine: CCK = bile, Secretin =
pancreatic juice (pancreatic lipase)
• Micelles: tiny emulsified fat packets that
can enter intestinal cells (enterocytes)
 DIGESTIBILITY
• Abnormal to find more than 6 or 7% of
ingested lipids still intact in the feces
• Steatorrhea indicates fat malabsorption
• Breast milk
• Medium-Chain Trigylcerides
• Short-Chain Fatty Acids
 ABSORPTION
• Most fat absorption takes place in the duodenum
or jejunum – micelles carry monoglycerides and
free fatty acids to the brush border where they
diffuse into enterocytes
• Bile salts are absorbed in the ileum (enterohepatic
circulation)
• Once in the enterocytes, monoglycerides and
free fatty acids are reformed into triglycerides
• The triglycerides, cholesterol, phospholipids,
and protein carriers form LIPOPROTEIN
 ABSORPTION
• Once these lipoproteins leave the cell, they become
CHYLOMICRONS and enter the lymph system
• MCTs, short-chain fatty acids and glycerol are
absorbed directly into bloodstream. They do not
enter the lymph system.
• Cholesterol and other sterols are poorly absorbed.
Overall, about 50% of dietary cholesterol is
absorbed.
• Dietary fat increases cholesterol absorption
• Fiber (especially soluble fiber) and phytosterols
decrease cholesterol absorption
triglycerides
 Lipids in the Body

• Chylomicrons
• Very-Low-Density Lipoprotein
• Intermediate-Density Lipoprotein
• Low-Density Lipoprotein
• High-Density Lipoprotein
 Chylomicrons are lipoproteins
 Heart Disease
• More than 58 million Americans have at
least one form of CVD – stroke,
hypertension, or coronary heart disease
• 1 in 9 women, and 1 in 6 men aged 45-64
years of age have some form of heart
disease
• Myocardial Infarction (heart attack) is the
leading cause of death in American men
and women
 Atherosclerosis

• A slow, progressive disease that begins in

childhood and takes decades to advance.
• Basically, plaque (lipid deposits and other
substances) forms in response to injuries on the
artery wall
• Plaque can eventually completely occlude the
artery leading to MI
• Injury can be caused by: hypercholesterolemia,
oxidized LDL, hypertension, smoking, diabetes,
homocysteine, and diets high in saturated fat
What Are the Lipid Related Risk
Factors for CVD?

• High LDL Cholesterol and Low HDL

Cholesterol
• A diet high in cholesterol
• A diet high in saturated fat
• A diet high in trans-fatty acids
 Trans Fatty Acids
• Trans fatty acids tend to raise total blood
cholesterol levels, but less than more saturated
fatty acids
• Trans fatty acids also tend to raise LDL
cholesterol and lower HDL cholesterol
• It is not clear if trans fats that occur naturally
have the same effect as those produced by
hydrogenating vegetable oils
• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has
proposed that the amount of trans fatty acids in a
food be included in the Nutrition Facts panel
 Ingredients: enriched wheat flour, corn
syrup, whole oats, raspberry preserves,
sugar, partially hydrogenated soybean
and/or cottonseed oil, glycerin,
maltodextrin, honey, dextrose, natural and
artificial flavors, nonfat dry milk, sodium
alginate, wheat bran, modified corn starch,
salt, cellulose gum, potassium
bicarbonate, lecithin, citric acid, xanthan
gum, calcium phosphate, malic acid, whey
protein concentrate, red #40, blue #1.
 Other Dietary Considerations
• Homocysteine – high levels of this amino
acid may promote atherosclerosis, excessive
blood clotting, or blood vessel rigidity
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids
• Soluble Fiber
• Antioxidants – clean up free-radicals (Vitamin
E, Vitamin C, etc)
• Other Phytochemicals – isoflavones and
lignans