Diffusion properties of lipids—Pure and in seeds

Diffusion constants of some fatty acids and triglycerides in pure form and also in seeds have been measured at different temperatures in order to elucidate the motion and organization of triglyceride molecules in oils. The size of the oil storage cavity (droplet) in seeds has been estimated to be 0.8 μ. Temperature dependences of the proton T₁ relaxation time in some samples have been measured by pulsed nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). From these measurements it is concluded that since activation energies for the relaxation mechanism, diffusion, is the same in seeds as in pure oils, 0.22 eV, the nature of the motion is similar.