Oils and Fats- Biology and Uses

This PPT intends to explore the different type of fatty acids, oils a, source along with their function in the welfare of the human.It also attempts to explore the essential oil, varieties along with their function.

1. ECONOMIC BOTANY
Sourcesofoils and fats : General description,
classification, their uses and health implications;
Groundnut, Coconut, Linseed, Soybean and
Mustard (Botanical name, family & uses). Essential
Oils: General account, uses and comparison with
fatty oils.
By
N. Sannigrahi, Associate Professor
Department of Botany
Nistarini College, Purulia ( W.B) India

2. INTERODUCTION
Fats and oils are composedofmolecules knownas
triglycerides, which are esters composed of three fatty acid
units linkedtoglycerol.Anincreaseinthe percentage of
shorter-chain fatty acids and/or unsaturated fatty acids lowers
themeltingpointofafatoroil.Thehydrolysisoffatsandoils
inthe presence of a base makes soap andisknownas
saponification. Double bonds presentinunsaturated
triglyceridescanbehydrogenatedtoconvert oils (liquid) into
margarine (solid). The oxidation of fatty acids can form
compounds with disagreeable odors. This oxidationcanbe
minimized by the addition of antioxidants.Saturated fats
contain a high proportionofsaturated fatty acids, while
unsaturated oils contain a high proportion of unsaturated fatty
acids.Thehighconsumptionofsaturatedfatsisafactor,along
with the high consumption of cholesterol,inincreased risks of
heartdisease.

3. WHAT IS ?
Atriglycerideiscalled a fatif itisa solidat25°C;itiscalled
anoilif itisa liquidatthat temperature. These differencesin
melting points reflect differencesinthe degree of unsaturation
and number of carbon atomsinthe constituent fatty acids.
Triglycerides obtained from animal sources are usually solids,
while those of plant origin are generally oils. Therefore,we
commonly speak of animal fats and vegetable oils.purefats
andoilsarecolorless,odorless,andtasteless.Thecharacteristic
colors, odors, and flavors thatweassociate with some of them
are imparted by foreign substances that are lipid soluble and
have been absorbed by these lipids. For example, the yellow
colorofbutterisduetothe presenceofthe pigment carotene;
thetasteofbuttercomesfromtwocompounds—diacetyland3-
hydroxy-2-butanone—produced by bacteriainthe ripening
creamfromwhichthebutterismade.

4. IMPORTANT NATURAL FATTY ACIDS
SATURATED:
Short chain(C 4-8):Butyric acid ( Butter), Caproic acid
(Butter,Coconut),Caprylicacid(Butter,Coconut)
Medium chain(C10-14):Capric Acid( Butter, Coconut),
Lauric acid( Butter, Coconut), Myristic acid (Butter,
vegetableoil)
Long Chain(C 16-22):Palmitic acid (Most vegetable
oil),Stearicacid(Vegetableoil),Arachidicacid(Peanut)
MONOUNSATURATED :(C16:1-22:1)
Oleic acid ( Olive oil, Canola oil), Erucic acid (Rape
seed,Canolaoil)
POLYUNSATURATED (C 18:2(n-3) onwards
Linoleicacid(Safflower,Cotton,Soybeanoil),Linolenic
acid(Soybeanoil),

5. BIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS OF FATS
i.Food material-Lipids provide food with high calorific value
(9.3Kcal/gm)
ii.Food reserve-Insolubleinaqueous solutions and stored
readilyasfoodreserve
iii. StructuralComponent- Important constituent of cell
membrane,
iv. Heat insulation-High insulating capacity enables the polar
animalstogetridofffromcoldtemperature,
v. Fatty acidabsorption-Phospholipids playsanimportant role
inabsorptionandtransportationoffattyacids,
vi.Hormonesynthesis-Sexhormones,adenocorticoids,cholic
acids and Vitamin D synthesized from cholesterol, a steroidal
lipid,
vii.Vitamincarriers-VitaminA,D&Earecarriedbyfat

6. COMMON OIL YEILDING PLANTS
Common
Name
Botanical
Name
Family Used Part Uses
Groundnu
t
Arachis hypogea Fabaceae Seed Vegetable oil,
Coconut Cocos nuciferaAracaceae Endosperm of
seed
Edible oil,
Hair oil,
Shampoo,
cosmetics
Linseed Linum
usitatissimum
L.
Linaceae Seed Soft soap,
solvents,
manufacture
of linoleum
and oil cloth
Soybean Glycine max L.Fabaceae Seed Edible oil
Mustard Brassica nigra
(black), Brassica
hirta ( White)
BrassicaceaeSeed Cooking, fuel
in lamps,
pickle
Sunflower
oil
Helianthus
annuus L.
Asteraceae Seed Good cooking
medium

7. SOME EDIBLE OIL
Common
name
Botanical
name
Family Used part Uses
Walnut oil Juglans regia
L.
JuglandaceaeOld kernelsEdible, painting
Safflower oil(
Kusum)
Carthamus
tinctorius L.
Asteraceae Seed Edible, soap,
paints, varnish
Cotton seed Gossypium
herbaceum L.
Malvaceae Seeds Cooking &
Vanaspati, soap
Corn oil Zea mays L.Poaceae Embryo Edible, Soaps,
paints
Sesame ( Til)Sesamum
indicum L.
PedaliaceaeSeed Edible for
cooking
Olive oil Olea europaea
L.
Oleaceae Food pulp Cooking
medicine
Palm oil Elaeis
guineensis
Jacq.
Arecaceae Nuts Soap,
margarine
Mahua oil Madhuca
indica L.
Sapotaceae Seed Laundry soap

8. GROUNDNUT
Groundnut,Arachis hypogea( Fabaceae)isa true
legume mostly foundtogrowinapple warm sunshine
andmoderaterainfallzones,lowandsandy,friable soils
withwellfertilizedspacesgoodforcultivation;Fruitsare
removed, cleaned and polished, shelled, ; seeds are
crushed by hydraulic presses and expellers; oil content
40-50%.Rotationofcropsdone;groundnutmaybeerect,
runner type; mostly branches trail with soil surface bear
pods; improved varietiesVRI1-1,RG-141,Somnath
ICGV-87160,ICGS-1,RSHY-1etc.
A non drying vegetable oil; golden yellowish a faint
agreeable oil; fatty acids are oleic acid(56%),linoleic
acid(25%),palmitic acid(6-12%) with phosphorous and
vitamin
Nutritious, filtered refined oil, laxative, emollient,
proteinrichsupplement

9. GROUNDNUT WITH LEGUMES

10. COCONUT
Coconut,Cocos nuciferabelongstoAracaceae
distributedinthe tropical region; Several places of
growing region like India, Srilanka, Philippines, West
indies etc; Two varieties-dwarf varieties start blooming
four years after planting whereas tall varieties for large
scaleproduction;Seedlingsaretransplantedwithhealthy
one; manure and preventive measures for infection;
potashwithmanuretoyieldbetterquantity;
Used for hair oil; edibleinsome areas; manufacture of
shampoos, shaving cream; preparation of food products;
greenhuskforcoir.
High Yielding varieties are West coast
tall,Chandrakalpa,VPM-3,Kera Sagara, Chowghat Green
dwarf.

11. COCONUT TREE

12. LINSEED
Linseed oilisextracted fromLinum usitatizsimum L.
belongstothe family Linaceae; Annual cultivated herbs
with erect stem produces septicidal capsule; power
driven mills with the hydraulic pressures and expellers
are usedtoextract the oil; theseedof the plantisrolled
into meal before crushingand heated after moisteningin
asteamjacketedtoughfittedoverexpeller;Coldpressed
oilisgolden yellow but hot pressed oilisyellowish
brown;freshoilispaleyellowcolorwithpleasanttaste.
Itcontains9-11%saturatedfattyacidslikePalmiticacid,
Stearic acid and 75-90% unsaturated fatty acids like
Linolenicacid&oleicacid.
CommonlytheplantisknownFlaxplantfromwhichthe
fibers are removed , used for the preparation of
lithographicinksprintingwiththeoil,preparationofsoft
soap,solventforseasoningbobbinsandothersportgoods.

13. LINSEED

14. SOYABEAN
BhatorBhatwar having botanical name,Glycine
max.(L.)Merr.BelongstoFabaceae;oilisobtainedfrom
seeds; Seeds are crushed followed by a numberof
extractionprocedure;
Major fatty acids are Palmitic acid(16.0),Stearic acid
(18.0),Oleic acid (18:1),Linoleic acid (18:2),major
amino acids Phenylalanine, Methionine,Valine,
Isoleucine etc.Usedincooking; manufacture of candles,
varnishes, soap, paints, greases linoleum, rubber
substitutes, cleaning compounds, insecticides and
disinfectants, making adhesives, plastics, spreaders,
foaming solutions; oil cake hasgoodpercentageof
proteincontentusedascattlefeed.
Several high yielding varieties are used for cultivation
likeJS93-05,JS96-60,NRC2,NRC37,MACS58,Durga,
Punjab1etc.

15. SOYABEAN

16. VEGETABLE FATTY OILS
Vegetablefattyoilsareoffourtypes-
Vegetable fats-Fats are solidorsemi-solidatordinary
temperature,edible,usedinsoapandcandlemaking; Palmoil,
coconutoil
Drying oil-Harden intoelastic filmexposedtoair; Linseed oil,
tungsoil(oilfromseedoftungtree),walnutoil,
Semi-drying oil-Semi drying oil but after longer exposureto
air, they become soft, solid films; Cotton seed oil, Corn oil,
sunfloweroil,mustardoiletc,
Non-drying oil-Nosolid films will occur even after exposure
toair,Oliveoil,Castoroilbelongingtoclass.
Oils have diverse utilities staring from edibletomessaging of
bodyandvarnishes,polishes,cosmetics,fabrics,lubricantsetc.

17. ESSENTIAL OIL
Essential oil, probably the product of metabolism responsible
for aroma and flavor are also knownasvolatile oil.Itpossess
the antiseptic and bactericidal properties. The oilissecretedin
the plants and depositedinthe intercellular spaces where oilis
developedduetobreakingofcellwall.
Sources: Near about60families like Asteraceae, Lawraceae,
Myrtaceae, Apiaceae, Lamiaceae bear aromatic plants
containingessentialoil.Oilisalsopresentinorgansoffruitsof
Citrus ( Rutaceae), flowers of Rose (Rosaceae), leaves of mint
( Lamiaceae), bark of Cinnamomus ( Lawraceae), slot of
Zinger (Zingiberaceae), bark of Cardamom( Zingiberaceae)
etc.Inadditiontothose plants, many other plants also the
sourceofessentialoilandtheseoilplayanumberofproperties
including pollination, disposal of fruits and seeds aloing with
the uses of the consumersingeneral and humaninparticular
duetohighmarketingpotential.

18. EXTRACTION
Various methods of extraction of essential oils are addressed
from the tissues elements being the sources. The following
methods are administered:
DISTILLATION-The ground material is placed in a container
and steamed. The oil is vaporized and passes into the condenser
together with steam. The oil is collected after cooling on the
cool surface , removed and filtered, followed by expression.
EXPRESSION-Here, the pressure is applied. The force is
applied to collect the oil yields in Orange, Lemon etc.
SOLVENTS-Two methods of solvents are used:
ENFLEURAGE-Here, the extraction is carried at a normal
temperature where the glass plates are covered by cold fat.
The flowers of the plants are kept for several days, the fat
dissolves slowly and perfume materials from the flower

19. EXTRACTION
materialareabsorbed.
Maceration- The plant materialisdigested with hot oil
and the flowers maybebrokenup. The perfume
absorptioniscompleted,treatedwithethylalcohol,oilis
dissolved out andthe extract ofthe flowers arecollected
forfuturedisposal.
USES
Tohelpinpollination
Torepelanimalsandparasites,
Heatingeffectduringtranspirationisminimized,
HydrogendonorduringOxido-reductionprocess,
Antisepticsubstancesandpotentialsourceofenergy,
Actsasfluidsforwounds

20. CLASSIFICATION
Essentialoilcanbeclassifiedunderfollowingcategories:
PERFUMES:Mostly fixed with volatile oilinless quantity
and placedina close containerasthey undergoes deterioration
by oxidation.
Roseoil-Altarofrose,
Geranium oil- Leavesofthe different species of Geraniaceae
likePelargoniumsp.
Orangeblossomoil-Bitterorange
Lemongrassoil-LeavesofCymbopogoncitratus(Poaceae)
Lavenderoil-FlowersofLavenderofficinalis(Laurace4ae)
Jasmine-FromtheflowersofJasminumspp(Oleaceae),
Sandalwoodoil-StemofSantalumalbum( Santalaceae)
KhusKhusoil-RootsofVetiveriazizanoides(Poaceae)

21. CLASSIFICATION
MEDICINAL/INDUSTRY OIL
The different typeofoils are used for different
medicinalorindustrialpurposesasstatedbelow:
Camphor oil-Obtained from wood twigs and leaves of
Cinnamomum camphora L.(Lauraceae),used for
inflammations, rheumatic pains, muscular strains,
nervousness,hysteriaetc,
Peppermint oil- FromMentha pipertiaL.( Lamiaceae),
used for flavoring, tooth paste, stomach disorder and
otherdiseases,
Cedar wood oil- From Junipaerus virginiana
(Cupressaceaeofgymnosperms),
Cyprus oil-Cypers scariosusR. (Cyperaceae),usedas
fixativebyperfumers,
Eucalyptusoil-EucalyptusglobosusLobill(Myrtaceae),
usedperfumery,germicidalpreparations

22. ESSENTIAL OIL & FATTY OIL
Essential oils are different from fatty oilsastheycanbe
evaporatedwhentheycameincontactwithair,
Essential oils being tiny molecules after contact with air
possess a pleasant taste and strong aromatic odor. When
fats being large molecules break down, they yield fatty
acidsandglycerol,usuallydeveloprancidodorandtaste.
Essentials extracts from vegetative partsbutfatty oils
fromseed,
Essential oil not involvedinseedgermination but fatty
oildoesso,
Essential oils consists rings and short chains but fatty
oilscontainopen&largechains

23. ESSENTIAL OIL & FATTY OIL
Essential oil volatile and aromatic but fatty oils arenon-
volatileandnon-aromatic,
Essential oils are bactericidal, antiviral. Antifungal and
anti-parasiticbutfattyoilsdonotpossessthisattribute,
Essential oilcanpass through membrane, cell walls and
tissues but fatty oils being largecannot invade this
pathways,
Essential oilscancirculate through plants and animals
tissuesbutfattyoilscannotdoso,
Essential oil not greasytotouch but fatty oils greasyto
touch,
Essential oils distilled from plants but fatty oils pressed
fromseeds.

24. CONCLUSION
Fats either visibleorinvisible (meat, nuts, seeds) play
veryimportantroleinbiologicalworld.Fatshavinghigh
melting point but fats having low melting point and
liquidinroom temperature are called oils.Itisusedas
mediumofcooking.Itimproves textureoffoods,
smoothness along with the palatability.Italso improves
the qualityofthe product. Besides the conventional oils,
number of non-conventional oils from mango kernel,
cleome Viscosa oil, Mesta oil,Terminelia bellarica,
Neem,ricebran,kapokandmahuaoilsareusedfortheir
safetyandnutritionalevaluation.Somefatlikesubstitute
are usedasa replacement of traditional fattoreduce
calories .The food scienceisdeveloping rapidly and
tryingtoreduce the consumptionoffatasitmay induce
theissuesofcholesterol,anecessarypoison.

25. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME
This presentation has been made without any financial
interest,toenrich open sourceofinformation. The
presenter acknowledges the followingstodevelop this
PPT.
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