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The desirable (left) and undesirable pathways for partial hydrogenation of an unsaturated fat. Elaidic acid is a trans fat with negative health effects. Full hydrogenation results in the conversion of all of the unsaturated fats into saturated fats by transforming all of the double bonds in the fat into single bonds.
In cellular metabolism, unsaturated fat molecules contain less energy (i.e., fewer calories) than an equivalent amount of saturated fat. The greater the degree of unsaturation in a fatty acid (i.e., the more double bonds in the fatty acid) the more susceptible it becomes to lipid peroxidation ( rancidity ).
A significant proportion of the fatty acids in the body are obtained from the diet, in the form of triglycerides of either animal or plant origin. The fatty acids in the fats obtained from land animals tend to be saturated, whereas the fatty acids in the triglycerides of fish and plants are often polyunsaturated and therefore present as oils.
Aerobic desaturation is the most widespread pathway for the synthesis of unsaturated fatty acids. It is utilized in all eukaryotes and some prokaryotes. This pathway utilizes desaturases to synthesize unsaturated fatty acids from full-length saturated fatty acid substrates. [17]
16- and 18-carbon omega−7 unsaturated fatty acids are known to be converted into 18- or 20-carbon highly unsaturated fatty acids in the body by nonselective desaturating enzymes. [4] The same enzymes also act on omega−3, omega−6, and omega−9 fatty acids. As a result, while proportions of individual highly unsaturated fatty acids may ...
Crotonic acid has 4 carbons, is included in croton oil, and is a trans-2-mono-unsaturated fatty acid.C 3 H 5 CO 2 H, IUPAC organization name (E)-but-2-enoic acid, trans-but-2-enoic acid, numerical representation 4:1, n-1, molecular weight 86.09, melting point 72–74 °C, boiling point 180–181 °C, specific gravity 1.027.
Saturated and some trans fats are typically solid at room temperature (such as butter or lard), while unsaturated fats are typically liquids (such as olive oil or flaxseed oil). Trans fats are very rare in nature, and have been shown to be highly detrimental to human health, but have properties useful in the food processing industry, such as ...
The double bonds of an unsaturated fatty acid can be cleaved by free-radical reactions involving molecular oxygen. This reaction causes the release of malodorous and highly volatile aldehydes and ketones. Because of the nature of free-radical reactions, the reaction is catalyzed by sunlight. [7] Oxidation primarily occurs with unsaturated fats.