Influence of the position of unsaturated fatty acid esterified glycerol on the oxidation rate of triglyceride

The influence of the position of unsaturated fatty acid esterified glycerol on the oxidation rate of triglyceride was investigated at 50 C. Randomized triglycerides used were prepared by random interesterification between saturated and unsaturated monoacid triglycerides using sodium methoxide as catalyst. The monoacid triglycerides used were tripalmitin, tristearin, triolein and trilinolein. The molecular species of the randomized triglycerides were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in combination with gas liquid chromatography (GLC) and enzymatic hydrolysis. From the results of oxygen absorption measurement by GLC, the randomized triglycerides were more stable towards oxidation than the triglyceride mixtures which were prepared by mixing the equivalent quantities of the same monoacid triglycerides as used in the random interesterification. This may be due to the decrease in the contents of most unstable unsaturated monoacid triglycerides by random interesterification with saturated monoacid triglycerides. Furthermore, from the results obtained with the detailed analysis of the randomized triglycerides at different stages of oxidation, it became clear that the triglycerides having unsaturated fatty acids linked at the 2-position of glycerol are more stable towards oxidation than those linked at the 1(or 3)-position. The carbon chain length of saturated fatty acids has essentially no influence on the oxidation rates of unsaturated fatty acids esterified in the same glycerol.