Triglycerides are composed of glycerol bonded to three fatty acid chains. They are the main constituents of body fats and oils. Triglyceride structure consists of a glycerol backbone bonded to fatty acid chains through ester linkages. The physical properties of triglycerides, such as melting point, depend on the length and saturation of the fatty acid chains. Saturated fatty acid chains pack tightly, causing triglycerides with more saturated chains to be solid at room temperature. Unsaturated chains do not pack as tightly, making triglycerides with more unsaturated chains liquid at room temperature. Triglycerides undergo three main reactions: hydrolysis, saponification, and hydrogenation.

1. SUBMITTED TO:- MISS ANANYA
SUBMIT TED BY :-MOIN KHAN HUSSAIN
UID:-14BBT1129

2. TRIGLYCERIDES

3. • An ester of glycerol with
three fatty acids.
• Also known as
triacylglycerols
• One type of lipid
categorised as simple lipid.
Triglycerides

4. Structure of Triglycerides
• Glycerides are lipid esters
• A triglyceride places fatty acid chains at each
alcohol group of the glycerol
CH2
CH
CH2
O
O
O C
O
C
O
C
O
R1
R2
R3
Glycerol
part
Fatty acid
chains

5. Glycerol
• Glycerol Always
looks the same
• 3 C’s with 3 OH’s and
everything else H’s.

6. Formation of Triglycerides

8. Example of triglycerides
▫ Triglyceride derived from one molecule each of
palmitic acid, oleic acid, and stearic acid, the three
most abundant fatty acids in the biological world.
CH2OC(CH2) 14CH3
CH2OC(CH2) 16CH3
CH3( CH2)7 CH=CH(CH2 )7COCH
O
O
O
oleate (18:1)
stearate (18:0)
palmitate (16:0)

9. Physical properties of triglycerides
• Physical properties depend on the fatty acid
components.
▫ Melting point increases as the number of carbons in
its hydrocarbon chains increases and as the number
of double bonds decreases.
▫ Oils: Triglycerides rich in unsaturated fatty acids
are generally liquid at room.
▫ Fats: Triglycerides rich in saturated fatty acids are
generally semisolids or solids at room temperature.

10. Physical properties of triglycerides
▫ Hydrocarbon chains of saturated fatty acids can lie
parallel with strong dispersion forces between their
chains; they pack into well-ordered, compact
crystalline forms and melt above room temperature.
▫ Because of the cis configuration of the double bonds in
unsaturated fatty acids, their hydrocarbon chains have
a less ordered structure and dispersion forces between
them are weaker; these triglycerides have melting
points below room temperature.

11. Chemical Properties
Triglycerides have typical ester and alkene chemical
properties as they are composed of these two groups:-
▫ Saponification: replace H with salt from a strong
base
▫ Hydrolysis: produces the fatty acids and glycerol, a
reverse of formation
▫ Hydrogenation: saturates the double bonds

12. Triglyceride Reactions
• Triglycerides undergo three basic reactions
• These reactions are identical to those studied in
carboxylic acids
Triglyceride
Glycerol
Fatty Acids
Glycerol
Fatty Acid Salts
More saturated
triglyceride
H2O, H+
NaOH
H2, Ni

13. Hydrolysis

14. Saponification

15. Hydrogenation