Laboratory exercise 3 : Lipids analysis

Experiment A Test for lipid

Result

Result when added to water

Solution turn cloudy, 2 layer solution
1 Oil dissolved in alcohol. 3
formed after long period
Solution remain clear
2 Alcohol alone 4

Discussion
Part A of this experiment was the identification of lipid which tested with addition of water
into test tube in present of vegetable droplet in propanol solution.
Tube 1 contain vegetable oil which miscible in propanol after shake it vigorously while tube
2 contain propanol only. After pouring tube 1 into tube 3; pouring tube 2 into tube 4, tube 3
solution turn cloudy while tube 4 solution remain clear.
Tube 3 solution turn cloudy due to present of vegetable oil. Propanol is miscible in water and
form clear solution. However, the vegetable oil which is dissolve in propanol cause the
solution become emulsion when water is added into tube 3. The solution settle down and
form 2 layer when you leave tube 3 for a long period.

This experiment enable us to distinguish the present of lipid however this experiment can not
help to differentiate type of lipids which form emulsion with water in the present of alcohol.
This is because when a sample contain lipids and water, cloudy emulsion formed
immediately.

Water and alcohol mix in all proportions. Precautions must be taken in selecting the alcohol
for use in this experiment is choose alcohol which has 3 carbon atom and below because
alcohol which has 3 carbon atom and below is completely miscible with water. So that you
can see the clear solution turn cloudy in an obvious way.

To design an experiment to find out the sensitivity of this test for fats, I suggested to dissolve
20 drops of oil in alcohol and see the differences of the cloudiness of the solution or dissolve
1 drops of oil in diluted alcohol.
Precaution of this experiment is to ensure all apparatus were dry and clean because
contaminated test tube will cause error in this experiment which lead to different result.

Experiment B: Characteristics of lipid in food visual observation

Result
Table 1 visual observations of fat

Food Describe what you see on the paper towel

Chocolate
Shiny oil, Many oil on paper towel when pressed lightly
chips

Oil present in paper towel when potato chip is crushed with paper towel.
Potato chips
Oil present is less compare to chocolate chip.

Sunflower Oil present in paper towel when sunflower seed is crushed with paper
seeds towel. Oil present is less compare to chocolate chip.

B. Quantitative measurement of invisible fats from foods

Table 2 extraction of lipids

Weight of Weight of Weight

Weight
Weight of beaker beaker lost % Lipid
Food of raw
beaker(g) with raw with dried from extraction
food
food food food

Chocolate
39.1310 44.2211 5.0901 41.5584 2.6627 52.3113%
chips

Potato
40.2570 45.1551 4.8981 44.8180 0.3371 6.8823%
chips

Sunflower
34.6140 39.6650 5.0510 38.5950 1.0700 21.1839%
seeds
(weight of beaker with raw food) (weight of beaker) = weight of raw food
(weight of beaker with raw food) (weight of beaker with dried food) = weight lost from food
(weight lost from food / weight of raw food) x 100 = % lipid extracted
Table 3 description of fats

Food Color Texture Odor Viscosity

Smooth cloudy white

Chocolate with chocolate still Chocolate
attached to fat Solid 1st
chips milk

Waxy rough white More liquid compare to

Potato
chocolate chip and Salty smell 3rd
chips
sunflower seeds fat

Rough fat, Less solid

Sunflower
Rough light brownish compare to chocolate Wax smell 2nd
seeds
chips

Discussion
In this experiment, food is crushed on paper towel to observe the fat contented in food such as
chocolate chips, potato chips and sunflower seed. Paper towel in kitchen has differences texture
compare to tissue paper when in contact with fat and water. In paper towel, fat become
translucent spot while water cause opaque spot on paper towel which wrinkle paper towel.

From the result and calculation obtained, we rank the percentage of lipid extracted from
chocolate chips, potato chips and sunflower seeds.

The ranking of percentage of lipid extracted from all three food is chocolate chip, 52.3113% ;
sunflower seed, 21.1839% and potato chip, 6.8823%.

The ranking percentage of lipid based on Nutrition Facts label is

72
Sunflower seed 140 100% = 51.4296%

40
Chocolate chip, 100% = 40%
100

6
And potato chip 15 100% = 40%

The ranking of percentage of lipid extracted from all three food disagree the ranking percentage
of lipid based on Nutrition Facts label. This may due to random error occurs during the
experiment where the fat of sunflower and potato is not fully extracted.
Triglyceride was formed by dehydration synthesis reactions in lipids. An ester linkage between
the carboxyl group of a fatty acid and the hydroxyl group of an alcohol monomer such as
glycerol.
Fatty acids is divided to saturated or unsaturated fatty acid. To determine saturation level, the
types of covalent bonds present in the hydrocarbon chain of a fatty acid was tested.
Fatty acid with single covalent bonds only indicated that the fatty acid is saturated and bonded
with many hydrogen atoms.
When one or more carbon-to-carbon double bonds are present, the fatty acid is not saturated
with hydrogen atoms and is called unsaturated. The carbon atoms involved in double bond are
bonded to three hydrogen atom compare to the carbon atom involved in each single bond are
bonded to four hydrogen atom.
Saturated and unsaturated fatty acids have significant effects on dietary fat appearance, taste,
digestion and human health.
Saturated fats are solid at room temperature, while unsaturated fats are liquid at room
temperature. This is because saturated fats have no double bond between molecules, while
unsaturated fats have double bonds, which break up the chain of hydrogen molecules and create
gaps, allowing the fats to liquefy at room temperature.
The extracted oil from the chocolate chip had rough texture, solid viscosity so I assumed that
it contained saturated fatty acids. While oil extracted from potato chips have wax texture low
viscosity and no changing in odour and colour so we assumed it was unsaturated fat. The
extracted oil from the sunflower seeds had smooth texture, solid viscosity, no changing in
colour, but changing in odour so we assume that the sunflower seeds contain both unsaturated
and saturated fats.

Conclusion

Lipids was divided to 3 categories which are triglyceride, steroid and phospholipids.
Triglyceride is more often found in food and can be categorised into saturated and unsaturated
fat. Food such as potato chips and sunflower seed also contain fat which lecithin act as
emulsifier to avoid oil separated from food to maintain the texture, appearance and taste of the
food. To extract fat and oil from food, we need acetone to separate fat from food. From this
experiment, we learned that invisible fat/oil present in a wide range of food, so we must be
aware of the fat intake in our daily meal.
References
Biology.R (2017). Test for fats. Retrieved at 18 October 2017 from
http://www.biology-resources.com/links.html

Institute of Food Technology. Unit 2 Lipids. Retrieved at 18 October 2017 from

http://www.ift.org/~/media/Knowledge%20Center/Learn%20Food%20Science/Experi
` ments/TeacherGuideLIPIDS.pdf

Jan Sheehan. How to Distinguish Between Saturated & Unsaturated Fats. Retrieved at 18
October 2017 from http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/distinguish-between-saturated-
unsaturated-fats-7667.html

My.fitnesspal. Chocolate chips. Retrieved at 18 October 2017 from

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calories/nestle-toll-house-semisweet-chocolate-
chips-370887284