Saturated fatty acids do no not contain any double bonds of other functional groups along the chain.
The term ‘saturated’ refers to hydrogen in that all carbons contain as many hydrogen as possible. This fatty acid carrying the maximum possible number of hydrogen atoms which having no points of unsaturation.
Saturated fatty acid is fully loaded with hydrogen and has only single bonds between the carbons.
Animal fats are generally rich in saturated fatty acids. Palmitic acid C16 is generally the most abundant saturated fatty acid in animal fats, with stearic acid C18 second in amount.
The earlier studies that involved palmitic acid identified this saturate as exerting a significant hypercholesterolemic effect.
Cocoa butter, palm kernel oil and coconut oil are saturated even though they are vegetable origin; they are firmer than most vegetable oils because of their saturation, softer than most animal fats because of their shorter carbon chains.
Saturated fatty acids are subdivided into two calluses
1. Even C fatty acid carry even number of carbons in their molecules and predominate in animal lipids.
2. Odd C fatty acids have odd number of carbons and are much less frequent in animal lipids.
Saturated
fatty acid
