Lipids– Part 1

By /
Dr. Nehal Mahmoud
Lecturer of Biochemistry
Faculty of Physical therapy
1. Introduction to
lipids:
A. Definitions:
1. Lipids are a heterogeneous group of compounds
related to
fatty acids.
2. Lipids are relatively insoluble in water.
3. They are soluble in nonpolar solvents such as
ether, chloroform or benzene.
B. The hydrophobic (water-hating) nature of
lipids is due to the predominance of
hydrocarbon chains (-CH2-CH2-CH2 -) in their
structure
C. Classification: lipids are classified into
simple, complex (compound) and derived
lipids:
1 . Simple lipids: are esters of fatty acids with various
alcohols. (Ester bond = -COO-). They are either fats or
waxes.
a) Fats: are esters of fatty acids with glycerol
(Acylglycerols).

b) Waxes: are esters of fatty acids with

higher alcohols.
2. Complex (compound) lipids: are
esters of fatty acids with alcohol in
addition to other groups. They
include :
a) Phospholipids: They contain
phosphate. They include:
1) Glycerophospholipids: the alcohol
is glycerol.
2) Sphingophospholipids: the
alcohol is sphingosine.
b) Glycolipids : They contain
carbohydrate:
3. Derived and precursor
lipids :which include :
a) Substances which are given by hydrolysis
of simple and
complex lipids e.g. fatty acids and alcohols.
b) Substances which are insoluble in water
but soluble in nonpolar solvents as :
1) Steroids.
2) Carotenoids.
3) Cholanthrenes.
4) Ketone bodies.
5) Fat soluble vitamins
D. Functions (biomedical
Importance):
1. In diet : Lipids are important
constituent of diet due to:
a) They are a source of high energy
value.
b) They contain fat soluble
vitamins.
c) They contain essential fatty
acids.
d) They make diet palatable.
2. In the body :
a) Lipids in adipose tissue serve as storage form of
energy.
b) They serve as thermal insulator in the subcutaneous
tissues.
c) Nonpolar lipids act as electrical Insulator, allowing
rapid
propagation of waves along myelinated nerves.
d) Lipoproteins (a combination of fat and proteins) are
important
because :
1) They enter in the structure of cell membranes.
2) They serve as a transport form of energy in the blood.

e. Neutral lipids: are those which carry no charges and

include:
1. Neutral fats (acylglycerols).
2. Cholesterol and cholesteryl esters.
Fatty acids: R. COOH
A. Fatty acids are water-insoluble long chain
hydrocarbons.
B. Fatty acids may be saturated (containing
no double bonds) or unsaturated
(containing one or more double bonds).
C. They are mostly monocarboxylic i.e.
having one carboxyl group at the end of the
chain (-COOH).
D. They are mostly aliphatic (i.e. not
branched). A few branched chain fatty acids
are present in animals and plants.
E. Fatty acids occur mainly as esters in
natural fats and oils.
F. Fatty acids may also present as free fatty
acids in the plasma
II. Saturated fatty acids :
A. Have no double bonds in the chain.
B. Their general formula is CH3•
(CH2)n·COOH where (n) equals the
number of methylene (·CH2) groups
between the methyl and carboxylic
groups.
C. The systemic name of saturated fatty
acids ends by the suffix (-anoic) e.g.
palmitic acid (16C) has systemic name
hexadecanoic acid (Hexa =6, Deca =1 0).
Unsaturated fatty acids :
A. The general formula Is Cn • H2n-1• COOH.
B. The systemic name of unsaturated fatty acids ends by
the suffix (·enolc) e.g. oleic acid
C. Unsaturated fatty acids are either monounsaturated or
polyunsaturated acids:
1. Monounsaturated fatty acids i.e. contain one double
bond
 Polyunsaturated fatty acids (essential fatty
acids,
Containing more than one double bond: e.g
a) Linoleic and linolenic:They are present in
linseed oil.
b) Arachidonic acid:
1) It is present in peanut oil.
2) It is a precursor of eicosanoids.
3) It is a component of phospholipids in animals.
c) Clupanodonic acid:
1) It is present in fish oils.
2) It is a component of phospholipids in brain
Essential and non-essential
fatty acids:
A. Non-essential fatty acids:

1. These are fatty acids which can be synthesized in the

body. Thus they are not necessary to be obtained from
the diet.
2. They include all saturated and monounsaturated
(one double bond) fatty acids as palmitoleic and oleic
acid.
B. Essential fatty acids:
1. Definition:
a) These are fatty acids that cannot be synthesized in the
body. They must be obtained from the diet.

b) They include fatty acids that contain more than one

double
bond (polyunsaturated fatty acids), e.g. lenoleic, lenolenic
and arachidonic acids.
c) A type of essential fatty acids are w-3 fatty acids
(omega-3 fatty acids) which are a family of unsaturated
fatty acids that have double bond in the w -3 position;
that is, the third bond from the methyl end of the fatty
acid. Examples of omega -3 fatty acids include linolenic
acid and arachidonic acids.

d) The human body has enzyme system that can form

only one double bond at the ninth carbon atom
2. Sources:
a) Plant oils e.g. corn oil, soya bean oil,
sunflower oils, sunflower, linseed oil and
cotton seed oil.

b) Fish oils: shark liver oils, which

particularly contain the omega -3
polyunsaturated fatty acids
3. Importance (functions): Essential fatty acids are
important for:
a) Normal growth.
b) They enter in the structure of phospholipids and cholesterol
esters. ·
c) They enter in the structure of cell membranes and are
required for the fluidity of membrane structure.
d) They protect against atherosclerosis and coronary heart
disease by decreasing free cholesterol and LDL.
e) Arachidonic acid (20C) is a precursor of a group of
compounds called: eicosanoid
 Eicosanoids:
A. Definition: These are cyclic compounds that are derived from
arachidonic acid .

Components of eicosanoids:
1. Prostanoids: which includes prostaglandins,
prostacyclins and thromboxanes:
a) Prostaglandins (PG):
1) (A, B, D, E, F, H, G and 1).
2) They have hormonal like action.
3) They cause vasodilatation, contraction of the uterus and intestine.
b) Prostacyclines: They cause vasodilatation and inhibit platelets
aggregation.
c) Thromboxanes: They cause aggregation of platelet
2. Leukotriens (L T):
a) They are present in
leucocytes, platelets and mast
cells.
b) They cause chemotaxis i.e.
Collection of white blood cells
at the site of inflammation
 Simple lipids
A. They are called simple because they are
formed only from alcohols and Fatty acids.
B.There are two classes of simple lipids
(according to the type of alcohol):
acylglycerols and waxes.
Acylglycerols are esters of one, two or three
fatty acids with glycerol.
Triacylglycerols (triglycerides):
Dietary sources of
trlacylglycerols:
1. In animals e.g. butter
2. In plants e.g. cotton seed
oil, linseed oil, sesame oil and
olive oil.
3. Marine oils e.g. cod liver oil
and shark liver oil.
Types of trlacylglycerols:
simple or mixed.
1. Simple triacylglycerols:
similar 3 fatty acids are
attached to glycerol.
2. Mixed triacylglycerols: 3
different fatty acids are
attached to glycerol
Waxes:
These are esters of fatty acids with long chain alcohol
other than glycerol. These alcohols contain one (-OH)
group, i.e., monohydric alcohols e.g. bee wax.
Sources: Waxes are excreted extracellularly In some
plants and
animals and has a protective function as in:
1. Bee wax.
2. Sebaceous secretions.
3. Cuticles of leaves
 Complex (Compound) Lipids
These include phospholipids, glycolipids,
lipoproteins, sulpholipids and aminolipids.
A. Phospholipids: They contain phosphoric acid
residues.
B. They are classified into glycerophospholipids
(contain glycerol) and
sphingophospholipids (contain sphingosine).
Phospholipids include:
1. Lecithin (phosphatidyl choline):
Functions:
1) Lecithin enters In the structure of cell membrane. It is
the most abundant phospholipid in cell membrane.
2) Lecithin acts as lipotropic factor i.e. prevent
accumulation of fat in liver (fatty liver).
3) Lecithin forms cholesterol esters: Lecithin reacts with
cholesterol, giving cholesterol ester and lyso-lecithin in the
presence of LCAT enzyme (lecithin cholesterol acyl
transfer-ase).
Cholesterol esters is transported to the liver
and excreted with bile. This prevents atherosclerosis
4) Lecithin acts as body store of choline. Choline is
important for:
i- Nerve transmission.
II- Transmethylation: It acts as methyl donor in
transmethylation reaction.

5) Lecithin prevents gall stones: lecithin in bile solubilizes

cholesterol and prevent cholesterol stones in gall bladder
6) Dipalmityl lecithin (I.e. lecithin which contains 2 palmitic
acid residues) acts as a surfactant In the lung.
i- Dipalmityl lecithin is continuously secreted by the lung
cells in the alveolar wall, forming a monolayer over the
watery surface of the alveolus and so lowers the surface
tension. This helps expiration and inspiration.
2. Cephalin (phosphatldyl ethanolamine):
Function: It is one of activating factors of coagulation
Mechanism.

3. Lysophospholipilds (lysolecithin and lysocephalin)

Functions:
1) Lysolecithin is important in the metabolism and inter
conversion of phospholipids.
2) Lycocephalin is strong surface-active substance.
4. Lipositol (phosphatidyl lnositol):
Function: It is present in cell membrane. It acts as
precursor of second messenger (inositol triphosphate),
mediating hormonal action inside cells .

5. Plasmalogens
Function: They constitute about 10% of the phospholipids
present in brain and muscles.

6. Sphingomyelins
Function: It is present in high concentrations in brain and
nerve tissue