LIPIDS ii.

Sphingophospholipids: Sphingosine is
Structure and Classification of Lipids the alcohol in this group of
- Lipid, organic compound found in living phospholipids e.g., sphingomyelin.
organisms that is insoluble in water but soluble
in non-polar organic solvents. b) Glycolipids - contain a fatty acid, carbohydrate
and nitrogenous base. The alcohol is
Lipids are classified into saponifiable and non- sphingosine; hence they are also called as
saponifiable lipids based on their behavior during glycosphingolipids. Glycerol and phosphate
chemical reaction called saponification. are absent e.g. cerebrosides, gangliosides.

Saponification – chemical reaction that involves the c) Lipoprotein - Macromolecular complexes of

hydrolysis (breakdown by water) of ester bonds in lipids with proteins.
lipids.
- Particularly triglycerides, in the presence of an
alkali, such as sodium hydroxide (NaOH) or 3 Derived Lipids
potassium hydroxide (KOH). - These are the derivatives obtained on the
- Triglycerides and phospholipids hydrolysis of lipids which
- possess the characteristics of lipids. These
Non- saponifiable lipids include glycerol and other alcohols, fatty acids,
- Such as steroids and terpenoids, lack ester mono- and diacylglycerols, lipid (fat) soluble
bonds and therefore do not undergo vitamins, steroid hormones, hydrocarbons and
saponification. ketone bodies.

4 Miscellaneous Lipids
CLASSIFICATION OF LIPIDS - These include a large number of
- simple compounds possessing the characteristics
- complex of lipids
- derived
- e.g., carotenoids, squalene, hydrocarbons
- miscellaneous lipids
such as pentacosane (in beeswax),
1 Simple Lipids terpenes etc.
- Ester of fatty acids with alcohols
TYPES OF FATTY ACIDS
Two main types :
Fatty Acids
a. Fats and oils (triacylglycerol) – ester of - naturally occurring monocarboxylic acid.
fatty acids with glycerol - nearly always contain an even number of
carbon atoms and have a carbon chain that
b. Waxes- Esters of fatty acids (usually long
is unbranched.
chain) with alcohols other than glycerol.
Acetyl alcohols most commonly found in
waxes - characterized as long-chain fatty acids
(C12 to C26), medium-chain fatty acids
2 Complex Lipids (C8 and C10), or short-chain fatty acids
- esters of fatty acids with alcohols containing (C4 and C6).
additional groups such as
phosphate, nitrogenous base, carbohydrate, - Fatty acids are rarely found free in nature
protein etc. but rather occur as part of the structure of
more complex lipid molecules.
They are further divided as follows:
a) Phospholipids - They contain phosphoric acid
and frequently a nitrogenous base. This is in fatty acids present in naturally occurring lipids
addition to alcohol and fatty acids. almost always have the following three
i. Glycerophospholipids: These characteristics:
phospholipids contain glycerol as the
1. An unbranched carbon chain
alcohol e.g., lecithin, cephalin.
 2. An even number of carbon atoms in the polarity of the carboxyl group present. In
carbon chain longer-chain fatty acids,
3. Double bonds, when present in the carbon - the nonpolar nature of the hydrocarbon
chain, in a cis configuration chain completely dominates solubility
considerations.
Fatty acids are classified as
- saturated fatty acids (SFAs), Melting points for fatty acids are strongly
- monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), influenced by both carbon chain length and
- or polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). degree of unsaturation (number of double
bonds present).
1. SATURATED FATTY ACIDS
ENERGY STORAGE LIPIDS
- A saturated fatty acid is a fatty acid with a
carbon chain in which all carbon–carbon Lipids known as triacylglycerols also function
bonds are single bonds. within
the body as energy-storage materials. Rather than
2. MONOUNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS being widespread, triacylglycerols are
concentrated
- fatty acid with a carbon chain in which primarily in special cells (adipocytes) that are
one carbon–carbon double bond is nearly
present. filled with the material.

- In biochemically important MUFAs, the SATURATED FATS - “BAD FATS”

configuration about the double bond is
nearly always cis MONOUNSATURATED FATS - “GOOD FATS”

3. POLYUNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS POLYUNSATURATED FATS - “BAD & GOOD

FATS”
- fatty acid with a carbon chain in which
two or more carbon–carbon double bonds
are present. MEMBRANE LIPIDS

- Up to six double bonds are found in All cells are surrounded by a membrane that
biochemically important PUFAs. confines their contents. Up to 80% of the mass of
a cell membrane can be lipid materials; the rest is
primarily protein. It is membranes that give cells
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF FATTY ACIDS their individuality by separating them from their
environment.
length and degree of unsaturation of the fatty acid
carbon chain There are three common types of membrane
lipids:
- Water solubility for fatty acids is a direct - phospholipids
function of carbon chain length; solubility - sphingoglycolipids,
decreases as carbon chain length - cholesterol.
increases.
- Short-chain fatty acids have a slight CHOLESTEROL
solubility in water.
- Long-chain fatty acids are essentially Cholesterol’s structure differs markedly from that
insoluble in water. The slight solubility of of other membrane lipids in that
short-chain fatty acids is related to The 1. there are no fatty acid residues present and
 2. neither glycerol nor sphingosine is present - Leukotrienes
as the platform molecule.
- An eicosanoid is an oxygenated C20 fatty
EMULSIFICATION LIPIDS acid derivative that functions as a
messenger lipid. Greek word eikos, which
An emulsifier is a substance that can disperse and means “twenty.”
stabilize water-insoluble substances as colloidal - The metabolic precursor for most
particles in an aqueous solution. Cholesterol eicosanoids is arachidonic acid, the 20:4
derivatives called bile acids fatty acid.
function as emulsifying agents that facilitate the
absorption of The physiological effects of eicosanoids include
dietary lipids in the intestine. mediation of
1. The inflammatory response, a normal
A bile acid is a cholesterol derivative that response to tissue damage
functions as a lipid-emulsifying agent in the 2. The production of pain and fever
aqueous environment of the digestive tract. 3. The regulation of blood pressure
Approximately one-third of the daily production of 4. The induction of blood clotting
cholesterol by the liver is converted to bile acids. 5. The control of reproductive functions,
such as induction of labor
MESSENGER LIPIDS 6. The regulation of the sleep/wake cycle

STEROID HORMONE
- Sex Hormones PROSTAGLANDINS

Three major groups: - is a messenger lipid that is a C20-fatty-

 Estrogens – the female sex acid derivative that contains a
hormone cyclopentane ring and oxygen-containing
 Androgens – the male sex functional groups.
hormones
 Progestins – the pregnancy Twenty-carbon fatty acids are converted into a
hormones prostaglandin structure when the eighth and
twelfth carbon atoms of the fatty acid become
- Adrenocortoid Hormones connected to form a five-membered ring.

Produced by the adrenal glands, small Prostaglandins are named after the prostate gland,
organs located on top of each kidney, at which was first thought to be their only source.
least 28 different hormones have been Today, more than 20 prostaglandins have been
isolated from the adrenal cortex (the outer discovered in a variety of tissues in both males and
part of the glands). females.
Two types of adrenocorticoid hormones
THROMBOXANES
1. Mineralocorticoids control the
balance of Na and K ions in cells  A thromboxane is a messenger lipid that is
and body fluids. a C20-fatty-acid derivative that
2. Glucocorticoids control glucose
metabolism and counteract  contains a cyclic ether ring and oxygen-
inflammation. containing functional groups. As with

EICOSANOIDS  prostaglandins, the cyclic structure

- Prostaglandins involves a bond between carbons 8 and 12.
- Thromboxanes
  An important function of thromboxanes is
to promote the formation of blood clots. PROTECTIVE COATING LIPIDS
Thromboxanes are produced by blood
platelets and promote platelet aggregation. A biological wax
- is a lipid that is a monoester of a long-
chain fatty acid and a long-chain alcohol.
LEUKOTRIENES
- are monoesters, unlike fats and oils, which
 is a messenger lipid that is a C20-fatty-
are triesters.
acid derivative that contains three
conjugated double bonds and hydroxy
groups.
 Leukotrienes are found in leukocytes
(white blood cells).

Their source and the presence of the three

conjugated double bonds account
for their name.
 Various inflammatory and hypersensitivity
(allergy) responses are associated with
elevated levels of leukotrienes. The
development of drugs that inhibit
leukotriene synthesis has been an active
area of research.

SUMMARY