TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES

College of Industrial Technology

Ayala Blvd.cor.San Marcelino St. Ermita, Manila

FATS & LIPIDS

GENERAL BIOCHEMISTRY LABORATORY
GROUP NO. 2
LEADER: Gozon, Angelika P.

Dimaculangan, Lianmar

Dinio, Jeremiah

Hilomen, Kaye Danielle

Gotostos, Josequizon Jr.

PRE-LAB QUESTIONS:
I. Please define the following Vocabulary terms:

 Fats
- Triglycerides are a form of macronutrient that is used in metabolism and is
referred to as fat. These are one of three macronutrient groups, along with
proteins and carbohydrates. Fats are used by most eukaryotes as a source
of energy as well as a food source. Fats have the highest energy storage
capacity of all macronutrients and are chemically stable, making them ideal
for long-term storage. Fats have the highest energy storage potential of the
macronutrients, and are very chemically stable, making them ideal for
storing energy for later use. Macronutrients does not refer to the size of the
molecule, but to the amount needed to sustain life. Vitamins and minerals
are considered micronutrients.

 Oils

- Oils and fats are essential components of a balanced diet. They're glycerol
esters with three fatty acids in their structure (called either triacylglycerols
or triglycerides). Fats are functional because of these fatty acids. Saturated,
cis-monounsaturated, cis-polyunsaturated, and trans fatty acids are the four
major forms. In very broad terms, saturated fatty acids and trans fatty acids
are solid at room temperature while the cis-unsaturated are liquid at room
temperature. Although no naturally occurring fat is either 100% saturated
or 100% unsaturated (but is a mix of the two), fats are often referred to as
‘saturated’ or ‘unsaturated’ because of the predominance of one or other
type of fatty acid.

 Sterols

- Sterols, also known as steroid alcohols, are a type of organic molecule that
belongs to the steroid family. They occur naturally in plants, animals, and
fungi, and can be also produced by some bacteria (however likely with
 different functions). The most familiar type of animal sterol is cholesterol,
which is vital to cell membrane structure, and functions as a precursor to
fat-soluble vitamins and steroid hormones. While technically alcohols,
sterols are classified by biochemists as lipids (fats in the broader sense of
the term).

 Fatty Acids

- In plants, animals, and microorganisms, fatty acid is an essential

component of lipids (fat-soluble components of living cells). A fatty acid, in
general, is made up of a straight chain with an even number of carbon
atoms, hydrogen atoms running the length of the chain and at one end, and
a carboxyl group (COOH) at the other end. It is because of the carboxyl
group that it is classified as an acid (carboxylic acid). If the carbon-to-carbon
bonds are all single, the acid is saturated; if any of the bonds is double or
triple, the acid is unsaturated and is more reactive. A few fatty acids have
branched chains; others contain ring structures (e.g., prostaglandins). Fatty
acids are not found in a free state in nature; commonly they exist in
combination with glycerol (an alcohol) in the form of triglyceride.

 Glycerol

- Glycerol or also known as glycerin (propane-1,2,3-triol or

HOCH2CHOHCH2OH) is a natural occurring chemical compound but also
can be industrially synthesize from epichlorhydrin and are generated as a
byproduct in making soaps from animal and vegetable fats and oils.
Glycerin is used as a humectant in the food, beverage, and tobacco
industries as well as a solvent, a sweetener, and a thickening agent.

 Linoleic Acid

- Linoleic acid is one of the essential polyenoic or poly-unsaturated fatty acid

for the human diet, which is mostly found in plant oils, oils high in linoleic
 acid include safflower oil, evening primrose oil, and sunflower oil. Linoleic
acid can’t be synthesize by the body that is why it is being introduced to the
human diet, so that Arachidonic acid can be synthesized in the body from
linoleic acid, an essential chemical released by the muscles when doing
exercise or activity, it also involves in regulating growth signals and healing
of wounds

 Essential Fatty Acids

- Essential Fatty Acids is also known as fatty acids that belong to the
polyunsaturated fatty acids group or the omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids,
fatty acids that are necessary for health but cannot be synthesize by the
body. These Essential Fatty Acids can control blood sugar and help lower
the LDL cholesterol (which causes potential heart diseases), furthermore,
needed for optimal brain function and cell growth. These essential fatty
acids can be acquired by consuming fishes, especially cold-water fishes
such as salmon, sardines, mackerel and herring, these fishes provide 2-4
grams of omega-3 fatty acids. These Essential Fatty acids can also be
found in plants and nuts such as walnuts, corn oil, flax, soybeans and
safflower.

 Cis Conformation

- Cis Conformation is a geometric isomerism that is a form of

stereoisomerism. The atoms are locked on the same side of the double
bond. Atoms or groups that lie on the same face of a molecule. Similar to,
but not identical with, E and Z.

 Trans Conformation

- Trans Conformation is a geometric isomerism that is a form of

stereoisomerism. The atoms are locked on opposite sides of the double
 bond. Atoms, groups, or other moieties that lie on opposite faces of a
molecule. Similar to, but not identical with, E and Z

 Hydrogenation

- The definition of hydrogenation is that it is the reaction between molecular

hydrogen and an organic or an inorganic substrate. It is the treatment of
substances with molecular hydrogen (H2), adding pairs of hydrogen atoms
to compounds which are generally unsaturated compounds. This reaction
is used in the hydrogenation of vegetable oils. Vegetable oils have long
unsaturated carbon chains, which are converted into vegetable ghee

 Saturated Fat

- Saturated fats are saturated with hydrogen molecules and contain only
single bonds between carbon molecules. These are solid at room
temperature because they contain no double bonds in their chemical
structures. Saturated fats contain only single bonds in the carbon chain,
with all excess carbon electrons bonded to hydrogen.

 Unsaturated Fat

- Unsaturated Fat has one, double, or triple bond in its molecule. This type of
fat is loosely packed and usually comes from the oils from plants. It also
tends to be liquid when kept at a room temperature. There are two (2) types
of unsaturated fat: (1) monounsaturated and (2) polyunsaturated fat. This
type of fat is actually better than the saturated fat because it reduces the
risk from getting heart disease and it improves the overall health of a
person.

 Polyunsaturated Fat

- Polyunsaturated Fat is a type of unsaturated fat that is usually in vegetable

oil such as sunflower, corn, and sesame oils. This is helpful for muscle
 movement as well as blood clothing. Consuming this type of fat rather than
saturated fat can reduce LDL Cholesterol. It is divided into two types:
omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. This is an essential fat for our body as it
is also used for brain function and growth.

 Monoacylglycerol

- This is also known as “monoglyceride” which is a type of esters of the

trihydric alcohol where one hydroxyl group is esterfied with a long chain of
fatty acid. It is a glyceride that is bonded covalently to a glycerol molecule
through an ester linkage that also includes a fatty acid chain.

 Diacylglycerol

- This is a type of glyceride that consists of two fatty acid chains bonded
covalently to a glycerol molecule through an ester linkage. The function of
diacylglycerol is to transduce signals of numbers of receptors that is
expressed by a hematopoietic cells.

 Triacylglycerol

- Triacylglycerols (also known as triglycerides) are the molecules that make

up animal fats and vegetable oils. They are used as food storage molecules.
They are made of four components - a glycerol molecule attached to three
fatty acids. This example has palmitic acid, oleic acid, and stearic acid.

 Ester Bond

- An ester bond is the bond between an alcohol group (-OH) and a carboxylic
acid group (-COOH), formed by the elimination of a molecule of water
(H2O). They are characterized by a carbon bound to three other atoms: a
single bond to a carbon, a double bond to an oxygen, and a single bond to
 an oxygen. Ester names are derived from the parent alcohol and the parent
acid.

 Surfactant

- Surfactant, also called surface-active agent, substance such as a detergent

that, when added to a liquid, reduces its surface tension, thereby increasing
its spreading and wetting properties. In the dyeing of textiles, surfactants
help the dye penetrate the fabric evenly. They are used to disperse aqueous
suspensions of insoluble dyes and perfumes.

 Emulsifier

- Emulsifier, in foods, any of numerous chemical additives that encourage the

suspension of one liquid in another, as in the mixture of oil and water in
margarine, shortening, ice cream, and salad dressing. A number of
emulsifiers are derived from algae, among them algin, carrageenan, and
agar. Lecithin, such as those found in egg yolk, are also used as emulsifying
agents.

 Lecithin

- Lecithin is a fat that is essential in the cells of the body. It can be found in
many foods, including soybeans and egg yolks. It is often saw lecithin as a
food additive. It is used to keep certain ingredients from separating out.
Lecithin is used for treating memory disorders such as dementia and
Alzheimer’s disease. It is also used for treating gallbladder disease, liver
disease, certain types of depression, high cholesterol, anxiety, and a skin
disease called eczema.
II. PRE-LAB QUESTIONS:
1. What types of fats are found in chocolate chips, potato chips and sunflower seeds? If
you were to extract these fats, what sort of differences would you expect to see?

Type of Oil Found in

Saturated Chocolate Chip

Monounsaturated

Polyunsaturated Potato Chip and Sunflower Seeds

The saturated fat or oil would most likely to appear oilier or will have more oil or fat
extracted. Also, saturated fat usually comes in a solid form in room temperature with a
cloudy-like appearance. While in polyunsaturated fats, it will most likely have less fat
extracted than the saturated one, and also will appear less oily. As it is under unsaturated
fats, it is liquid in room temperature.

2. How much fat should you eat? Find out what percent of your calories should come from
saturated and unsaturated fat. Figure out how many calories this is, then find out how
many grams are right for you. (Remember: 9 calories per gram for fat)

Type of Oil Health Guidelines Your Personal Requirements

Saturated It should be 10% or 15.0 g of In your personal requirement it should be

daily total calories 7% or 11.0 g of your daily calories

Monounsaturated It should be up to 20% or It should be 15 to 20% or 33.0 g to 44.0 g

44.0 g of daily total calories of your daily calories

Polyunsaturated It should be up to 10% or It should be 5 to 10% or 16.0 g to 22.0 g

22.0 g of daily total calories of your daily calories
3. What is the fat content of chocolate chips, potato chips and sunflower seeds? Figure
out a percent fat by mass for each food by dividing the grams of fat in a serving by the
total grams in a serving.

Food Item Grams of Fat per Total Grams per Percent Fat by
Serving Serving Mass

Chocolate 30g 100g 30%

Chips

Potato Chips 20.80g 100g 21%

Sunflower 51g 100g 51%

Seeds

LIPIDS LAB

Activity Objectives:

In this experiment, we will be extracting and examining the fat in chocolate, potato
chips, and sunflower seeds. In chocolate, sugar and cocoa are dispersed in a crystallized
fat matrix. To keep the fat from separating out of the chocolate, an emulsifier called
lecithin is used. The fat in the potato chip is mostly on the surface of the chip from the
frying process. The fat in the sunflower seed is in the seed itself. The cooking oils that we
use come primarily from nuts and seeds. Examples of these fat sources are corn,
soybean, and peanut oils.

Materials Required:

Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips Weighing Scale

Sunflower Seeds Microwave
 Potato Chips Paper Towels
Acetone Foil
Watch Glass (3) Safety Goggles
100 mL beaker (3) Gloves
Graduated Cylinder Heavy object for crushing
Stir Rod

Experimental Procedures
Part A: Visual evidence of invisible fats from food

Part 1: Chocolate Chips

1. Measure out 2g of chocolate chips and place on a paper towel.

2. Microwave for 40 seconds on high.

3. Fold the paper towel over the chocolate chips and gently press the chocolate chips
flat with your fingers.

4. Allow it to sit for 5 minutes.

5. Open up the paper towel.

6. Record your observations of physical appearance on Data Table: Visual

Observations of Fat.

Part 2: Potato Chips

1. Measure out 2g of potato chips and place on a paper towel.
2. Microwave for 25 seconds on high.

3. Fold the paper towel over the potato chips and crush the chips with your palm.

4. Allow it to sit for 5 minutes.

5. Open up the paper towel.

6. Record your observations of physical appearance on Data Table: Visual Observations

of Fat.
Part 3: Sunflower Seeds
1. Measure out 2g of sunflower seeds and place on a paper towel.

2. Microwave for 25 seconds on high.

3. Fold the paper towel over the sunflower seeds and crush the sunflower seeds with a
heavy object.
4. Allow it to sit for 5 minutes.

5. Open up the paper towel.

6. Record your observations of physical appearance on Data Table: Visual Observations

of Fat.
 DATA TABLE: VISUAL OBSERVATIONS OF FAT

Food Description of what you see on the paper towel

Chocolate There are a lot of oils or fats in the chocolate chips

Chips

Potato Chips The oils or fats in the potato chips are slightly less than what the
chocolate chips have.

Sunflower There are very little oil or fat that can be seen on sunflower seeds.
Seeds

Part B: Quantitative measurement of invisible fats from foods

Part 1: Extraction of Fat from Chocolate Chips
1. Weigh out 5g (~9 chips) of chocolate chips.

2. Crush the chocolate between 2 sheets of foil with a heavy object.

3. Label 1 100mL beaker with the following: Chocolate Chips.

4. Record the weight of the beaker in the Data Table: Extraction of Lipids.

5. Place the crushed chocolate chips in the beaker.

6. Record the weight of the beaker with the crushed chocolate chips in the Data Table:
Extraction of Lipids.
7. Add 10mL of Acetone to the crushed chocolate chips in the beaker.
8. Swirl for 1 minute in a fume hood or well-ventilated area with a glass stir rod.

9. Allow the food to settle for 10 minutes.

10. Carefully decant the acetone onto the watch glass, making sure the chocolate
remains in the beaker.
11. Add 10mL of Acetone to the chocolate and repeat steps 8, 9 and 10.

12. Allow the Acetone on the watch glass to dry overnight in a fume hood to visualize
the lipid that was extracted.

13. Allow the beaker with the chocolate to dry overnight. Weigh the beaker with the
chocolate and record the weight of the beaker in the Data Table: Extraction of Lipids.
Part 2: Extraction of Fat from Potato Chips
1. Weigh out 5g of potato chips.

2. Break into dime sized pieces with your fingers.

3. Label 1 100mL beaker with the following: Potato Chips.

4. Repeat steps 4 through 13 with the potato chips
Part 3: Extraction of Fat from Sunflower Seeds
1. Weigh out 5g of sunflower seeds.

2. Crush the seeds between 2 sheets of foil with a heavy object.

3. Label 1 100mL beaker with the following: Sunflower Seeds.

4. Repeat steps 4 through 13 with the sunflower seeds.

Part 4: Next Day Calculations and Observations

1. Record the weights of the beakers with the dried foods in the Data Table: Extraction
of Lipids.
2. Perform the Calculations to determine the weight of the raw food, to determine the
weight lost from food, and to determine the % lipid extracted for chocolate chips, potato
chips and sunflower seeds and enter the data in the Data Table: Extraction of Lipids.
3. Observe the color, texture, odor and viscosity of the extracted lipid on the watch
glasses for chocolate chips, potato chips and sunflower seeds and enter the data in the
Data Table: Description of Fats.
Calculations:

To determine the weight of the raw food:

weight of raw food = (weight of beaker with raw food) - (weight of beaker)

To determine the weight lost from food:

weight lost from food = (weight of beaker w/ raw food) - (weight of beaker w/ dried food)

To determine the % lipid extracted:

weight lost from food
% lipid extracted = x 100
weight of raw food

DATA TABLE: EXTRACTION OF LIPIDS

Food Weight Weight of Weight Weight of Weight % Lipid

of beaker of raw beaker lost Extraction
beaker with raw food (g) with dried from
(g) food (g) food (g) food (g)

Chocolate
66.0 g 71.0 g 5.00 g 68.00 g 3.00 g 60%
Chips

Potato
Chips 321.0g 326.0 g 5.00 g 324.0 g 2.00 g 40%

(Vcut Bbq)

Potato
Chips 1.00g 6.00g 5.00g 5.00g 1.00g 20%

(Piattos)
 Sunflower
66.0 g 71.0 g 5.00 g 70.0 g 1.00 g 20%
Seeds

Weight of raw food:

CHOCOLATE CHIPS: 71 – 66 = 5g
POTATO CHIPS: 326- 321= 5g
6 – 1 = 5g
SUNFLOWER SEEDS: 71 – 66 = 5g

Weight lost from food:

CHOCOLATE CHIPS: 71 – 68 = 3g
POTATO CHIPS: 326 – 324= 2g (Vcut bbq)
6 – 1 = 1g (Piattos)
SUNFLOWER SEEDS: 71 – 70 = 1g

% of Lipid extracted:
3𝑔
CHOCOLATE CHIPS: 5𝑔 𝑥 100 = 60%
2𝑔
POTATO CHIPS: 5𝑔 𝑥 100 = 40%
1𝑔
POTATO CHIPS: 𝑥 100 = 20%
5𝑔
1𝑔
SUNFLOWER SEEDS: 5𝑔 𝑥 100 = 20%

DATA TABLE: DESCRIPTION OF FAT

Food Color Texture Odor Viscosity

Chocolate Brownish- Greasy

Odorless It has some resistance
Chips Yellow or Oily
 Potato Chips
Oily Odorless Little Resistance is present
(Vcut Bbq) Yellow-Orange

Potato Chips A little

Yellow-White Odorless Little resistance
(Piattos) oily

Sunflower Low viscosity/ Have some

White Oily Odorless
Seeds or minimal resistance

POST-LAB QUESTIONS:

1. How can you tell that the dark spot on the paper towel is fat and not water?
There is an easy way to test and know if it was oil or water. We put a drop of oil
next to a drop of water in a paper or tissue. At first, we can observe that it both looks wet
and translucent. But after sometime the water evaporates and the spot appear dried while
the spot for fat remains visible.

2. Rank from most to least the percentage of lipid extracted from all three foods.
As the experiment yields a clear result it shows that chocolate chips has the most
percentage of lipid extracted from all three foods which yields 60% while on the other
hand, the sunflower seeds and potato chips yields the least percentage of lipid extracted
from all the three foods which yields 20%.

3. Determine which lipids contained saturated and unsaturated fatty acids in this
experiment based on your descriptions of the fats on the watch glasses.
Based on the result of this laboratory experiment, the samples that's been tested
in are: 1. Chocolate chip, 2. Potato Chip, and 3. Sunflower Seeds. As a result, chocolate
chip has created an oily surface with cloudy-like formation, it is also the highest oil
containing sample among the other two. Meaning to say, chocolate chip turned is a
saturated type of fat while the remaining two samples; potato chip and sunflower seeds
that has undergone the same test. They had an oily substance too but lesser than
chocolate chip. The chocolate chip and sunflower seed is in unsaturated form of fat.

4. What is responsible for the liquid properties of oils?

The intermolecular forces between molecules in the liquid state differ based on
their chemical identities, resulting in differences in physical properties. The viscosity
(flow resistance) and surface tension of a liquid are determined by cohesive forces
between like molecules, elasticity of a liquid surface.

5. What is responsible for a crystalline or solid fat? What influences different

appearances?
The chemical structure or make up or how their building blocks are stacked
together is responsible for making the fat solid or the crystallization of fat. The close
packing of these tightly stacked blocks is like the tightly packed molecules that make fats,
saturated fats to be exact, appear solid. While unsaturated fats are more fluid and liquid
in room temperature because its building blocks have bends or kinks that don't allow the
blocks to be tightly stacked.

6. Draw a generic fat molecule. Label the parts: three fatty acid “carbon chains” and one
glycerol molecule. Hint: Your drawing should resemble a common capital letter.
7. Why is it easier for saturated fats to “stack” and form solid fat particles than unsaturated
fats?
Saturated fats “stack” or form solid particles when in room temperature because
they have a chain like structure or they have a linear structure and they are closer to each
other that allows them to do (stack) so. On the other hand, unsaturated fat cannot stack
when in room temperature because they don’t have a linear structure because they have
a double bonded carbons which have a different molecular structure than of saturated fat.

8. Why do saturated fat molecules feel stronger forces of attraction to each other than
unsaturated fat molecules?
Saturated fat molecules are stronger because their molecules are close to each
other or packed in other terms especially when it is in room temperature. When the
molecules are close, they create a dispersion force. While unsaturated molecules tend
to be weaker because the molecules of this fat is not packed together because they
come in liquid form. They are away from each other than of saturated fat.

9. Why is it easier for fats with longer carbon chains to form solid fats than fats with shorter
carbon chains?
Saturated fat have longer carbon chains (eight to fourteen carbons or even more)
compared to unsaturated fats (6 carbons or less in length). Generally, fatty acids in fats
are held together by carbon atoms that are attach to each other and to hydrogen, longer
carbon chains means that the fatty acid chain is saturated to the capacity with hydrogen
atoms but when some chains has a missing hydrogen atoms due to the formation of one
or more double bonds between carbon atoms(there is a presence of unsaturation point),
the fats tend to have shorter carbon atoms meaning it is unsaturated . Long chains of
carbons with no missing hydrogen atoms (or no point of unsaturation) these long
hydrogen-carbon chains interact strongly with one another and behaves rigidly, packing
together tightly, thus, it reduces fluidity of the fat forming solids

10. Why do saturated fats have more calories than unsaturated fats? Does that make
them unhealthier?
 Both fats are measured to have the same calorie count of 9 calories per 1 gram
however, Saturated Fats contribute more calories compared to unsaturated fat because
they are usually consumed by people more often on a daily basis however, saturated fats
raise blood lipids, including low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels and certain
other heart disease risk factors, such as inflammation, thus it increases cardiovascular
disease risks, that is why it makes saturated fat unhealthier and is recommended to intake
less than 6 percent of saturated fat or 120 calories on your recommended 2,000 daily
calorie intake

NOTE: In replacement of beaker, you can use clear glass and for the watch glass,
you can use clear saucer plate if you have. Otherwise, you may buy beaker,
stirring rod and watch glass divided the expenses by your group, but I’m not
requiring you to buy materials, instead you can innovate use the materials you
have in your kitchen. The only solvent you need is the acetone.
Please provide a picture for the documentation and video if you can.
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