Q. 15.23 - An Introduction to General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry

Question

Caprylic acid is an $8$-carbon saturated fatty acid that occurs in coconut oil $(10\%)$ and palm kernel oil $(4\%)$. Draw the line-angle formula for glyceryl tricaprylate (tricaprylin).

Step-by-Step Solution

Answer

Coconut oil and palm kernel oil contain caprylic acid, an eight-carbon saturated fatty acid. 

Sep 1:Introduction

• Lipids are hydrophobic esters of intermediate to long-chain fatty acids.
• Saturated and unsaturated fatty acids are the two forms of fatty acids.
• Unsaturated fatty acids have a long chain of carboxylic acids with double or triple bonds in their structure. 
• The fatty acid chain is said to be saturated when it contains all of the single bonds in its structure. 

Step 2: Explanation

• Fats, waxes, sterols, and triglycerides are examples of naturally occurring lipids. 
• Triglycerides are lipids that have glycerol linked to three fatty acids.
• Fats and oils are examples of triglycerides. 
• Long, unbranched carbon chains with a carboxylic acid group at one end make up fatty acids. 
• Unsaturated fatty acids have one or more carbon-carbon double bonds, whereas saturated fatty acids have only single carbon-carbon bonds.

Step 3: Determine the line-angle formula for glyceryl tricaprylate (tricaprylin).

• Coconut oil and palm kernel oil contain caprylic acid, an 8-carbon saturated fatty acid. 
• Glyceryl tricaprylate (tricaprylin) has the following line-angle formula: