BIOLOGY

INVESTIGATORY PROJECT

TOPIC:

‘To estimate the amount of fats

present in different dry fruits’

ATHARVA DALVI
XII SCIENCE BETA INDIRA NATIONAL SCHOOL
‘To estimate the amount of fats
present in different dry fruits’
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the project work entered in

this project report belongs to Mr.Atharva Dalvi of
Class XI Science Beta; roll no. 25 has satisfactorily
competed with the required project in biology for
academic year 2018-19 in Indira National School as
laid down by Central Board of Secondary
Education.

________________ _________________ _________________

Principal External Examiner Internal Examiner
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to express my special thanks of gratitude to

my teacher, Mrs Rashmi Ma’am as well as our Principal,
Mr Prasad Pardeshi Sir who gave me the golden
opportunity to do this wonderful project on the topic ‘To
estimate the amount of fats in dry fruits.’ which also
helped, me in doing a lot of Research and I came to know
about so many new things. I am really thankful to them.

Secondly, I would also like to thank my parents and

friends who helped me a lot in gathering information and
finalizing this project within the limited time frame.
 INDEX

Sr Topics Page No.

No.

1. Introduction
2. Requirements
3. Procedure
4. Observation
5. Result
INTRODUCTION:
Fats and Oils:
Fat is one of the three main macronutrients, along
with carbohydrate and protein.[1] Fats molecules consist of primarily
carbon and hydrogen atoms, thus they are all hydrocarbon molecules.
Examples include cholesterol, phospholipids and triglycerides.
The terms "lipid", "oil" and "fat" are often confused. "Lipid" is the
general term, though a lipid is not necessarily a triglyceride. "Oil"
normally refers to a lipid with short or unsaturated fatty acid chains
that is liquid at room temperature, while "fat" (in the strict sense)
specifically refers to lipids that are solids at room temperature –
however, "fat" (in the broad sense) may be used in food science as a
synonym for lipid. Fats, like other lipids, are generally hydrophobic,
and are soluble in organic solvents and insoluble in water.
Fat is an important foodstuff for many forms of life, and fats serve
both structural and metabolic functions. They are a necessary part of
the diet of most heterotrophs (including humans) and are the most
energy dense, thus the most efficient form of energy storage.[2]
Types of lipids:

1.Phospholipids
Phospholipids are a class of lipids that are a major component of
all cell membranes. They can form lipid bilayers because of
their amphiphilic characteristic. The structure of the phospholipid
molecule generally consists of two hydrophobic fatty acid "tails" and
a hydrophilic "head" consisting of a phosphate group. The two
components are joined together by a glycerol molecule.
2. Waxes
Waxes are a diverse class of organic compounds that
are lipophilic, malleable solids near ambient temperatures. They
include higher alkanes and lipids, typically with melting points above
about 40 °C (104 °F), melting to give low viscosity liquids. Waxes
are insoluble in water but soluble in organic, nonpolar solvents.
Natural waxes of different types are produced by plants and animals
and occur in petroleum.

3. Triglycerides
A triglyceride (TG, triacylglycerol, TAG, or triacylglyceride) is
an ester derived from glycerol and three fatty acids (from tri-
and glyceride).[1] Triglycerides are the main constituents of body
fat in humans and other animals, as well as vegetable fat.[2] They are
also present in the blood to enable the bidirectional transference
of adiposefat and blood glucose from the liver, and are a major
component of human skin oils.

Fatty acids can be saturated or unsaturated:

1.Saturated Fatty acids
A saturated fat is a type of fat in which the fatty acid chains have all
or predominantly single bonds. A fat is made of two kinds of smaller
molecules: glycerol and fatty acids. Fats are made of long chains of
carbon (C) atoms. Some carbon atoms are linked by single bonds (-C-
C-) and others are linked by double bonds (-C=C-).[1] Double bonds
can react with hydrogen to form single bonds. They are
called saturated, because the second bond is broken and each half of
the bond is attached to (saturated with) a hydrogen atom. Most animal
fats are saturated.
2. Unsaturated Fatty acids
Unsaturated fat is a fat or fatty acid in which there is at least
one double bond within the fatty acid chain. A fatty acid chain
is monounsaturated if it contains one double bond,
and polyunsaturated if it contains more than one double bond. Where
double bonds are formed, hydrogen atoms are subtracted from the
carbon chain. Thus, a saturated fat has no double bonds, has the
maximum number of hydrogens bonded to the carbons, and therefore
is "saturated" with hydrogen atoms.

Importance of Fats

1.Provision of energy
Fats are a source of energy in the human diet, together with
carbohydrates and proteins, the other two main macronutrients. Fat is
the most concentrated source providing 9 kcal per 1 gram consumed,
which is more than double the energy content of protein or
carbohydrate (4 kcal per gram) and more than quadruple the energy
content of fibre (2 kcal per gram). Fat can be stored in the body’s fat
tissue, which releases fatty acids when energy is required (see box:
Body fat).

2. Structural component
The membranes around the cells in our body physically separate the
inside from the outside of the cell, and control the movement of
substances in and out of the cells. They are mainly made of
phospholipids, triglycerides and cholesterol. Both length and
saturation of the fatty acids from phospholipids and triglycerides
affect the arrangement of the membrane and thereby its fluidity.
Shorter chain fatty acids and unsaturated fatty acids are less stiff and
less viscous, making the membranes more flexible.
3. Carrier of vitamins
In the diet, fat is a carrier for the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K,
and supports their absorption in the intestine. Consuming sufficient
amounts of fatty foods that contain these vitamins is thus essential for
adequate intake of these micronutrients.

4. Other biological functions

Our bodies cannot produce the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA)
linoleic acid (LA) and alpha linolenic acid (ALA) as described
in Facts on Fats – the Basics. Without these essential fatty acids some
vital functions would be compromised, thus they must be provided by
the diet. LA and ALA can be converted to longer chain fatty acids and
compounds with hormone-like or inflammatory properties (such as
prostaglandins or leukotrienes, respectively). As such, essential fatty
acids are involved in many physiological processes such as blood
clotting, wound healing and inflammation. Although the body is able
to convert LA and ALA into the long chain versions arachidonic acid
(AA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and, to a lesser extent, to
docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), this conversion seems limited.3 The
longer chain fatty acids EPA and DHA are said to be “conditionally
essential” and it is recommended to consume direct sources of these
particular long chain fatty acids. The richest source of EPA and DHA
is oily fish, including anchovy, salmon, tuna and mackerel. See Facts
on Fats – the Basics for a more complete overview of the most
common fatty acids and foods in which they can be found.
OBJECTIVE:
As a snack, dried fruit is drastically superior to junk foods, such as
potato chips, pretzels, candy bars, and other unhealthy indulgences
people reach for when they are hungry between meals. Dry fruits are
small but are extremely rich sources of minerals and proteins. Every
diet specialist always recommends a handful of dry fruits in our diet
in order to keep us healthy and fit. There are just umpteen varieties in
dry fruits such as raisins, cashew nuts, almonds, pistachios, walnuts,
dates, plums.

REQUIREMENTS:
Different types of dry fruits (like coconut, walnut, almond, cashew
nut & ground nut), funnels, beakers, conical flask, filter papers, test
tubes, stirring rod, heater/spirit, carbon tetrachloride (CCl4).

PROCEDURE:
1. Grind 10g of dry fat in a pestle and mortar into fine powder.
2. Heat each sample with sufficient amount of carbon tetrachloride
over a water bath for 5 minutes.
3. Filter the mixture and separate the solid part.
4. Weigh the solid part assuming that the sample contains negligible
amount of volatile substances, subtract the weight of the solid part
from the initial amount of dry fruit taken & this is the amount of fat &
oil present in dry fruit.
5. Calculate % weight of fats in each dry fruit.
 OBSERVATIONS:

Dry fruit Protein Fat Minerals Carbs Energy

Apricot 1.6g 0.7g 2.8g 73.4g 306kcals

Dates 2.5g 0.4g 2.1g 75.8g 317kcals
Figs 3.6g 1.2g 2.0g 78.0g 290kcals
Peach 3.0g 0.4g 1.8g 57.7g 254kcals
Pears 2.3g 0.6g 2.3g 62.6g 270kcals
Prunes 1.6g 1.5g 1.3g 66.0g 240kcals
Raisins 1.8g 0.3g 2.0g 74.6g 308kcals
RESULT AND DISCUSSION:
It is concluded from the experiment that Prunes contain maximum
fat(1.5g). Therefore the people having high cholesterol level should
avoid these and prefer Raisins which have minimum level of
fat(0.3g).

PRECAUTIONS:
1. Weighing should be done properly.
2. Hold the test tubes with test tube holder during heating.