Fats and Oils

Learning Outcome:

At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

• State the importance of fats and oils
• State the differences between oils and fats,
• Identify structural formulae for fat molecules of certain
fatty acids.
• Compare and contrast between saturated and unsaturated
fats,
• Describe the process of changing unsaturated fats to
saturated fats,
A) Source of Fats and Oils

Fats – Found in animals and human tissue

e.g. butter, cheese

Oils – Found in Fish and plants

e.g Olive, soya bean, peanut, sunflower, corn.
e.g Cod fish, Salmon, Whales
B) The important of Fats and Oils

1) Source of energy
- Serve to store energy

2) Thermal insulation
- keeps us warm and protect us from cold

3) Protection
- as protective layer around internal organ from
injury

4) Source of nutrients
- enable human body to absorb vitamins A, D, E, K
 C) Differences between fats and oils

Animal and vegetable fats and oils are just a big

complicated esters.

The difference between a fat (like butter) and an oil

(like sunflower oil) is simply in the melting points of the
mixture of esters they contain.

If the melting points are below room temperature, it

will be a liquid - an oil. If the melting points are above
room temperature, it will be a solid - a fat.
D) Structures of Fats and Oils

Esters can be made from carboxylic acids and alcohols.

The diagram shows the relationship between the

ethanoic acid, the ethanol and the ester.
More complicated alcohol by having 3-OH group:
propane-1,2,3-triol (old name: glycerol).

glycerol

If you make an ester of this with ethanoic acid, you

could attach three ethanoate groups.

glyceryl triethanoate
Now, use longer acid chains, and you finally have a fat.

Acid CH3(CH2)16COOH : Octadecanoic acid

Old name: stearic acid

Fats : propane-1,2,3-triyl trioctadecanoate.

Old name: glyceryl tristearate
 E) Saturated and unsaturated fats
and oils
1) Saturated Fats - esters of saturated fatty acid
- single C-C covalent bonds

2) Unsaturated Fats - esters of unsaturated fatty

acid.
- double C-C covalent bond

a) Monounsaturated Fats - One double bond

b) Polyunsaturated Fats - Two or more double

bonds
Examples of saturated fatty acids:
12C
16C
18C

Examples of monounsaturated fatty acids:

18C

Examples of polyunsaturated fatty acids:

Omega 6 acid 18C

Omega 3 acid 18C

 Saturated Fats (%) Unsaturated Fats (%)
Source
Myristic Palmitic Stearic Others Oleic Linoleic Others
acid acid acid acid acid
Butter 10 25 10 21 25 5 4
Animal 4 29 19 - 44 3 1
Fats
Peanut - 7 5 - 60 20 8
Oil
Olive Oil 1 5 5 - 80 7 2
Palm Oil - 44 5 - 40 10 1

Peanut oil, olive oil, palm oil are classified as

unsaturated fats. Why?

Butter and animal fats are classified as saturated

fat. Why?
F) Converting unsaturated fat to
saturated fat.

nickel
Unsaturated Fat (liquid) + Hydrogen Saturated Fat (solid)
180 °C

• Most natural oils need processing to make them fit

for use.
• Hydrogenation of unsaturated oils - make
margarine.
• Controlled hydrogenation makes oils more solid.
• Pass H2 through heated oil – with nickel as catalyst.
• Add flavourings, salt, vitamins etc.
G) Conclusion

• The importance of fats and oils

• The differences between oils and fats
• The structural formulae for fat molecules
• The difference between saturated and unsaturated

fats
• The process of coverting unsaturated fats o
saturated fats,