Fixed Oils And Fats

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Chapter: Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry : Drugs Containing Lipids

Fixed oils and fats are obtained from plants or animal. They are rich in calories and in plant source, they are present mostly in the seeds, as reserve substances and in animals they are present in subcutaneous and retroperitoneal tissues.


FIXED OILS AND FATS

 

 

Fixed oils and fats are obtained from plants or animal. They are rich in calories and in plant source, they are present mostly in the seeds, as reserve substances and in animals they are present in subcutaneous and retroperitoneal tissues. They differ only according to their melting point and chemically they belong to the same group. If a substance is liquid at 15.5–16.5°C it is called fixed oil and solid or semisolid at the above temperature, it is called fat. They are made from two kinds of molecules: glycerol (a type of alcohol with a hydroxyl group on each of its three carbons) and three fatty acids joined by dehydration synthesis. Since there are three fatty acids attached, these are known as triglycerides. These fatty acids may be saturated, monounsaturated or polyunsaturated. The terms saturated, mono-unsaturated, and poly-unsaturated refer to the number of hydrogens attached to the hydrocarbon tails of the fatty acids as compared to the number of double bonds between carbon atoms in the tail. Fats, which are mostly from animal sources, have all single bonds between the carbons in their fatty acid tails, thus all the carbons are also bonded to the maximum number of hydrogens pos-sible. Since the fatty acids in these triglycerides contain the maximum possible amount of hydrogens, these would be called saturated fats. The hydrocarbon chains in these fatty acids are, thus, fairly straight and can pack closely together, making these fats solid at room temperature. Oils, mostly from plant sources, have some double bonds between some of the carbons in the hydrocarbon tail, causing bends or ‘kinks’ in the shape of the molecules. Because some of the carbons share double bonds, they are not bonded to as many hydrogens as they could if they weren’t double bonded to each other. Therefore these oils are called unsaturated fats. Because of the kinks in the hydrocarbon tails, unsaturated fats can’t pack as closely together, making them liquid at room temperature.

 

Examples of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids are given in table below.

 

Table :  Examples of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids

 


 

Fixed oils and fats are insoluble in water and alcohol and are soluble in lipid solvents like light petroleum, ether, chloroform, and benzene. Only exception in this solubility is castor oil that is soluble in alcohol because of its hydroxy group of ricinoleic acid. They float in water since their specific gravity is less than one. They produce a permanent translucent stain on the paper and are called fixed oils. Fixed oils and fats cannot be distilled without their decomposition.

 

Analytical Parameters for Fats and Oils

 

Following are the parameters used to analyse the fats and oils.

 

1) Iodine value: The iodine value is the mass of iodine in grams that is consumed by 100 g of fats or oil. A iodine solution is violet in colour and any chemical group in the substance that reacts with iodine will make the colour disappear at a precise concentration. The amount of iodine solution thus required to keep the solution violet is a measure of the amount of iodine sensitive reactive groups. It is a measure of the extent of unsaturation and higher the iodine value, the more chance for rancidity.

 

2) Saponification value: The saponification value is the number of milligrams of potassium hydroxide required to saponify 1 g of fat under the conditions specified. It is a measure of the average molecular weight of all the fatty acids present.

 

3)  Hydroxyl value: The hydroxyl value is the number of mg of potassium hydroxide (KOH) required to neutralize acetic acid combined to hydroxyl groups, when 1 g of a sample is acetylated.

 

4) Ester value: The ester value is the number of mg of potassium hydroxide (KOH) required to saponify the ester contained in 1 g of a sample.

 

5) Unsaponifiable matter: The principle is the saponification of the fat or oil by boiling under reflux with an ethanolic potassium hydroxide solution. Unsaponifiable matter is then extracted from the soap solution by diethyl ether. The solvent is evaporated and then the residue is dried and weighed.

 

6) Acid value: It is the amount of free acid present in fat as measured by the milligrams of potassium hydroxide needed to neutralize it. As the glycerides in fat slowly-decompose the acid value increases.

 

7) Peroxide value: One of the most widely used tests for oxidative rancidity; peroxide value is a measure of the concentration of peroxides and hydroperoxides formed in the initial stages of lipid oxidation. Milliequivalents of peroxide per kg of fat are measured by titration with iodide ion. Peroxide values are not static and care must be taken in handling and testing samples. It is difficult to provide a specific guideline relating peroxide value to rancidity. High peroxide values are a definite indication of a rancid fat, but moderate values may be the result of depletion of peroxides after reaching high concentrations.

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