Lecithin consists of one molecule of glycerol, esterified with two molecules of fatty acids; one of these fatty acid may be unsaturated and other saturated. It contains phosphoric acid and a nitrogenous base – choline. Two forms of lecithin, alpha lecithin, and beta lecithin are described. Alpha lecithin has the phosphoric acid and choline attached…
The important phospholipids are the following:
These are also known as phosphatides. They are an important compound, composed of fatty acid, glycerol, phosphoric acid, and nitrogenous base.
These are the lipids which contain certain chemical groups others than alcohol and fatty acid. Compound lipids include phospholipid, glycolipids, sulpholipids, and lipoproteins.
Glycerol is utilised in the body as follows: Glycerol is phosphorylated to form phosphoglycerate (glycerophosphate) action of ATP and specific phosphokinase. Glycerophosphate is oxidised to glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate, which is an intermediate in glycolysis, which is further oxidised to yield energy. Glycerol is widely used as solvent in the manufacturer of cosmetics and in the preparation of…
Oxidation: When glycerol is oxidised with H2O2 in slight alkaline solution in the presence of iron salt, a mixture of trioses, glyceric aldehyde, and dihydroxy acetone is formed. Acrolein formation: When glycerol is heated either alone or in the presence of dehydrating agent like KHSO4, a substance called acrolein, which is an unsaturated aldehyde, is obtained.