Triacylglycerols responsible for the onset of nucleation during clouding of palm olein

This paper discusses the results of an investigation to identify triacylglycerols that induce clouding of refined bleached deodorized (RBD) palm olein, which occurred within 24 h after fractionation. The experiments were conducted in a jacketed glass vessel in which the liquid sample was cooled from 70 to 23°C at a predetermined rate. Clouding began at around 28.5°C. The presence of three different types of saturated triglycerides, namely tripalmitin, dipalmitoyl-myristoylglycerol and dipalmitoyl-stearoyl-rac-glycerol, is critical in the formation of nuclei and thus clouding of the RBD palm olein. This conclusion is based on the significant increase in the relative concentration of these components in the nuclei as compared to the mother oil.