Animal fat

Last updated
Lard
Reuzel.jpg
Wet-rendered lard, from pork fatback.
Fat composition
Saturated fats
Total saturated38–43%:
Palmitic acid: 25–28%
Stearic acid: 12–14%
Myristic acid: 1%
Unsaturated fats
Total unsaturated56–62%
Monounsaturated 47–50%:
Oleic acid: 44–47%
Palmitoleic acid: 3%
Polyunsaturated Linoleic acid: 6–10% [1]
Properties
Food energy per 100 g (3.5 oz)3,770 kJ (900 kcal)
Melting point backfat: 30–40 °C (86–104 °F)
leaf fat: 43–48 °C (109–118 °F)
mixed fat: 36–45 °C (97–113 °F)
Smoke point 121–218 °C (250–424 °F)
Specific gravity at 20 °C (68 °F)0.917–0.938
Iodine value 45–75
Acid value 3.4
Saponification value 190–205
Unsaponifiable 0.8%

Animal fats are lipids derived from animals which are used by the animal for a multitude of functions, or can be used by humans for dietary, sanitary, and cosmetic purposes. Depending on the temperature of the fat, it can change between a solid state and a liquid (oil) state. Chemically, both fats and oils are composed of triglycerides. [2] [3] Although many animal parts and secretions may yield oil, in commercial practice, oil is extracted primarily from rendered tissue fats from livestock animals like pigs, chickens and cows. Dairy products yield animal fat and oil products such as butter.

Contents

Chemical structure

Animal fats are composed of triglycerides, which are a type of ester molecule in which glycerol is bonded to three fatty acids. [3] The three fatty acids that bond to the glycerol will determine the complexity and type of the triglyceride. If the three fatty acids are the same, then the triglyceride will be considered a simple triglyceride. [3] However, most triglycerides contain differing fatty acids, causing them to have differing characteristics. Animal fat is a combination of many different triglycerides. [2] Fatty acids can be broken down into two categories, saturated and unsaturated fats. Most animal fats are saturated fats. [4]

Uses

For the Animal

Fat serves many purposes within an animal's body. Some of these uses include insulating the body to regulate internal body temperature, serving as an energy reserve, and cushioning the feet. [5] Many mammalian animals that live in cold regions of the globe, including both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, have developed a thick layer of fat just below the skin called blubber. [6] This blubber helps these animals to reduce the amount of heat that is lost to the colder outside environment. Fat is a poor conductor of heat; therefore, it allows the heat that the animal produces to remain in their body for a longer period of time. [5] [6] Fat is also used by animals for the storage of energy. The type of fat that is used for energy storage is known as adipose tissue. [7] This adipose tissue is made up adipocytes which store the energy in the chemical bonds of triglycerides. [5] [7] [8] For example, prior to an animal going through hibernation, an animal will build up large reserves of adipocytes to ensure it has the energy to survive the long slumber. [7] [9] Fat is also used by animals to create foot pads. [10] These foot pads aid in the longevity and health of the animal by absorbing the impacts that occur when the animal walks, runs, or jumps. These foot pads are present in many animals including cats, dogs, horses, and even larger mammals like elephants. [5] [10]

Human Culinary Uses

Many animal fats and oils are consumed directly, or indirectly as ingredients in food. Animal fats are commonly consumed as part of a western diet in their semi-solid form as either milk, butter, lard, schmaltz, and dripping or more commonly as filler in factory-produced meat, and fast-food products. [11] Certain fats, such as goose fat, have a higher smoke point than other animal fats, but are still lower than many vegetable oils such as olive or avocado. [12]

The oils serve a number of purposes in this role:

Secondly, oils can be heated and used to cook foods. Suitability for this purpose depends on flash point.

Other Human Uses

There are many other human uses for animal fat, a few of these uses come from tallow. One of the uses of tallow is the production of soap through a process called saponification. The tallow is boiled or heated along with lye, resulting in the production of a rough soap as well as glycerol.[ citation needed ] The soap is then put through a purification process until it becomes a usable sanitary product. [13] Tallow is also used in the production of many skincare and cosmetic products. [14] [15] Tallow contains vitamins E, D, K, and A as well as conjugated linoleic acid which have all been shown to have benefits to skin health. [15]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fatty acid</span> Carboxylic acid

In chemistry, particularly in biochemistry, a fatty acid is a carboxylic acid with an aliphatic chain, which is either saturated or unsaturated. Most naturally occurring fatty acids have an unbranched chain of an even number of carbon atoms, from 4 to 28. Fatty acids are a major component of the lipids in some species such as microalgae but in some other organisms are not found in their standalone form, but instead exist as three main classes of esters: triglycerides, phospholipids, and cholesteryl esters. In any of these forms, fatty acids are both important dietary sources of fuel for animals and important structural components for cells.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fat</span> Esters of fatty acid or triglycerides

In nutrition, biology, and chemistry, fat usually means any ester of fatty acids, or a mixture of such compounds, most commonly those that occur in living beings or in food.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Triglyceride</span> Any ester of glycerol having all three hydroxyl groups esterified with fatty acids

A triglyceride is an ester derived from glycerol and three fatty acids. Triglycerides are the main constituents of body fat in humans and other vertebrates as well as vegetable fat. They are also present in the blood to enable the bidirectional transference of adipose fat and blood glucose from the liver and are a major component of human skin oils.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tallow</span> Rendered form of beef or mutton fat

Tallow is a rendered form of beef or mutton suet, primarily made up of triglycerides.

Saponification is a process of cleaving esters into carboxylate salts and alcohols by the action of aqueous alkali. Typically aqueous sodium hydroxide solutions are used. It is an important type of alkaline hydrolysis. When the carboxylate is long chain, its salt is called a soap. The saponification of ethyl acetate gives sodium acetate and ethanol:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lipolysis</span> Metabolism involving breakdown of lipids

Lipolysis is the metabolic pathway through which lipid triglycerides are hydrolyzed into a glycerol and free fatty acids. It is used to mobilize stored energy during fasting or exercise, and usually occurs in fat adipocytes. The most important regulatory hormone in lipolysis is insulin; lipolysis can only occur when insulin action falls to low levels, as occurs during fasting. Other hormones that affect lipolysis include leptin, glucagon, epinephrine, norepinephrine, growth hormone, atrial natriuretic peptide, brain natriuretic peptide, and cortisol.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glyceride</span> Chemical esters commonly found in fats and oils

Glycerides, also known as acylglycerols, are esters formed from glycerol and fatty acids, and are generally very hydrophobic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oleic acid</span> Monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid

Oleic acid is a fatty acid that occurs naturally in various animal and vegetable fats and oils. It is an odorless, colorless oil, although commercial samples may be yellowish due to the presence of impurities. In chemical terms, oleic acid is classified as a monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid, abbreviated with a lipid number of 18:1 cis-9, and a main product of Δ9-desaturase. It has the formula CH3−(CH2)7−CH=CH−(CH2)7−COOH. The name derives from the Latin word oleum, which means oil. It is the most common fatty acid in nature. The salts and esters of oleic acid are called oleates. It is a common component of oils, and thus occurs in many types of food, as well as in soap.

Biodiesel production is the process of producing the biofuel, biodiesel, through the chemical reactions of transesterification and esterification. This process renders a product (chemistry) and by-products.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saponification value</span> Milligrams of a base required to saponify 1g of fat

Saponification value or saponification number represents the number of milligrams of potassium hydroxide (KOH) or sodium hydroxide (NaOH) required to saponify one gram of fat under the conditions specified. It is a measure of the average molecular weight of all the fatty acids present in the sample in form of triglycerides. The higher the saponification value, the lower the fatty acids average length, the lighter the mean molecular weight of triglycerides and vice versa. Practically, fats or oils with high saponification value are more suitable for soap making.

Fatty acid metabolism consists of various metabolic processes involving or closely related to fatty acids, a family of molecules classified within the lipid macronutrient category. These processes can mainly be divided into (1) catabolic processes that generate energy and (2) anabolic processes where they serve as building blocks for other compounds.

In chemistry, acid value is a number used to quantify the acidity of a given chemical substance. It is the quantity of base, expressed as milligrams of KOH required to neutralize the acidic constituents in 1 gram of a sample. The acid value measures the acidity of water-insoluble substances like oils, fats, waxes and resins, which do not have a pH value.

Whale oil is oil obtained from the blubber of whales. Oil from the bowhead whale was sometimes known as train-oil, which comes from the Dutch word traan.

In biochemistry, lipogenesis is the conversion of fatty acids and glycerol into fats, or a metabolic process through which acetyl-CoA is converted to triglyceride for storage in fat. Lipogenesis encompasses both fatty acid and triglyceride synthesis, with the latter being the process by which fatty acids are esterified to glycerol before being packaged into very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL). Fatty acids are produced in the cytoplasm of cells by repeatedly adding two-carbon units to acetyl-CoA. Triacylglycerol synthesis, on the other hand, occurs in the endoplasmic reticulum membrane of cells by bonding three fatty acid molecules to a glycerol molecule. Both processes take place mainly in liver and adipose tissue. Nevertheless, it also occurs to some extent in other tissues such as the gut and kidney. A review on lipogenesis in the brain was published in 2008 by Lopez and Vidal-Puig. After being packaged into VLDL in the liver, the resulting lipoprotein is then secreted directly into the blood for delivery to peripheral tissues.

Lipid metabolism is the synthesis and degradation of lipids in cells, involving the breakdown and storage of fats for energy and the synthesis of structural and functional lipids, such as those involved in the construction of cell membranes. In animals, these fats are obtained from food and are synthesized by the liver. Lipogenesis is the process of synthesizing these fats. The majority of lipids found in the human body from ingesting food are triglycerides and cholesterol. Other types of lipids found in the body are fatty acids and membrane lipids. Lipid metabolism is often considered the digestion and absorption process of dietary fat; however, there are two sources of fats that organisms can use to obtain energy: from consumed dietary fats and from stored fat. Vertebrates use both sources of fat to produce energy for organs such as the heart to function. Since lipids are hydrophobic molecules, they need to be solubilized before their metabolism can begin. Lipid metabolism often begins with hydrolysis, which occurs with the help of various enzymes in the digestive system. Lipid metabolism also occurs in plants, though the processes differ in some ways when compared to animals. The second step after the hydrolysis is the absorption of the fatty acids into the epithelial cells of the intestinal wall. In the epithelial cells, fatty acids are packaged and transported to the rest of the body.

Stillingia oil is an oil extracted from the seeds of plants of the Triadica genus such as Triadica sebifera and Triadica cochinchinensis. It is a drying oil used in paints and varnishes, and it is believed to be toxic in China. It must be distinguished from stillingia tallow, a fatty substance that surrounds the seeds in the fruit and must be removed before extracting the oil.

Oleochemistry is the study of vegetable oils and animal oils and fats, and oleochemicals derived from these fats and oils. The resulting product can be called oleochemicals (from Latin: oleum "olive oil"). The major product of this industry is soap, approximately 8.9×106 tons of which were produced in 1990. Other major oleochemicals include fatty acids, fatty acid methyl esters, fatty alcohols and fatty amines. Glycerol is a side product of all of these processes. Intermediate chemical substances produced from these basic oleochemical substances include alcohol ethoxylates, alcohol sulfates, alcohol ether sulfates, quaternary ammonium salts, monoacylglycerols (MAG), diacylglycerols (DAG), structured triacylglycerols (TAG), sugar esters, and other oleochemical products.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lard</span> Semi-solid white pork fat product

Lard is a semi-solid white fat product obtained by rendering the fatty tissue of a pig. It is distinguished from tallow, a similar product derived from fat of cattle or sheep.

Glyceroneogenesis is a metabolic pathway which synthesizes glycerol 3-phosphate from precursors other than glucose. Usually, glycerol 3-phosphate is generated from glucose by glycolysis, in the liquid of the cell's cytoplasm. Glyceroneogenesis is used when the concentrations of glucose in the cytosol are low, and typically uses pyruvate as the precursor, but can also use alanine, glutamine, or any substances from the TCA cycle. The main regulator enzyme for this pathway is an enzyme called phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPC-K), which catalyzes the decarboxylation of oxaloacetate to phosphoenolpyruvate. Glyceroneogenesis is observed mainly in adipose tissue, and in the liver. A significant biochemical pathway regulates cytosolic lipid levels. Intense suppression of glyceroneogenesis may lead to metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diglyceride</span> Type of fat derived from glycerol and two fatty acids

A diglyceride, or diacylglycerol (DAG), is a glyceride consisting of two fatty acid chains covalently bonded to a glycerol molecule through ester linkages. Two possible forms exist, 1,2-diacylglycerols and 1,3-diacylglycerols. Diglycerides are natural components of food fats, though minor in comparison to triglycerides. DAGs can act as surfactants and are commonly used as emulsifiers in processed foods. DAG-enriched oil has been investigated extensively as a fat substitute due to its ability to suppress the accumulation of body fat; with total annual sales of approximately USD 200 million in Japan since its introduction in the late 1990s till 2009.

References

  1. ↑ National Research Council. (1976). Fat Content and Composition of Animal Products.; p. 203. Washington, DC: Printing and Publishing Office, National Academy of Science. ISBN   0-309-02440-4
  2. 1 2 "11.3: Triglycerides- Fats and Oils". Chemistry LibreTexts. 2023-03-24. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
  3. 1 2 3 Jadhav, Harsh B.; Annapure, Uday S. (2023-08-01). "Triglycerides of medium-chain fatty acids: a concise review". Journal of Food Science and Technology. 60 (8): 2143–2152. doi:10.1007/s13197-022-05499-w. ISSN   0975-8402. PMC   9217113 . PMID   35761969.
  4. ↑ "Saturated Fat". www.heart.org. Retrieved 2024-11-19.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "The Physical Properties of Fats in Mammals". Bioengineering Hyperbook. 2023-05-26. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
  6. 1 2 Khudyakov, J. I.; Allen, K. N.; Crocker, D. E.; Trost, N. S.; Roberts, A. H.; Pirard, L.; Debier, C.; Piotrowski, E. R.; Vázquez-Medina, J. P. (2022-12-14). "Comprehensive molecular and morphological resolution of blubber stratification in a deep-diving, fasting-adapted seal". Frontiers in Physiology. 13. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2022.1057721 . ISSN   1664-042X. PMC   9795062 . PMID   36589428.
  7. 1 2 3 Harvey, Innocence; Boudreau, Anik; Stephens, Jacqueline M. (2020-12-09). "Adipose tissue in health and disease". Open Biology. 10 (12): 200291. doi:10.1098/rsob.200291. PMC   7776562 . PMID   33292104.
  8. ↑ Tamang, Sanju (2024-03-19). "Fat Cells: Definition, Types, Structure, Functions, Diseases". microbenotes.com. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
  9. ↑ Scopes, Eleanor R.; Broome, Alice; Walsh, Katherine; Bennie, Jonathan J.; McDonald, Robbie A. (2024). "Conservation implications of hibernation in mammals". Mammal Review. 54 (3): 310–324. doi: 10.1111/mam.12346 . ISSN   1365-2907.
  10. 1 2 Clemente, Christofer J.; Dick, Taylor J. M.; Glen, Christopher L.; Panagiotopoulou, Olga (2020-03-02). "Biomechanical insights into the role of foot pads during locomotion in camelid species". Scientific Reports. 10 (1): 3856. Bibcode:2020NatSR..10.3856C. doi:10.1038/s41598-020-60795-9. ISSN   2045-2322. PMC   7051995 .
  11. ↑ Meat Products with High Levels of Extenders and Fillers, Food and Agricultural Organization of the United States, archived from the original on 2019-02-07, retrieved 2012-03-16
  12. ↑ The Goose Fat Information Service, Goosefat.co.uk, 2012-03-19, retrieved 2012-03-19
  13. ↑ "How Saponification Makes Soap". ThoughtCo. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  14. ↑ "The Benefits and Challenges of Formulating Tallow-Based Skincare". Create Your Skincare™. 2023-05-01. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  15. 1 2 Russell, Margaret F.; Sandhu, Manmeet; Vail, Maddison; Haran, Christa; Batool, Unaiza; Leo, Jonatha; Russell, Margaret; Sandhu, Manmeet; Vail, Maddison; Haran, Christa; Batool, Unaiza; Leo, Jonathan (2024-05-24). "Tallow, Rendered Animal Fat, and Its Biocompatibility With Skin: A Scoping Review". Cureus. 16 (5). doi: 10.7759/cureus.60981 . ISSN   2168-8184. PMC   11193910 .
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.