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The Properties of Lauric Acid and Their Significance in Coconut Oil

Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society

Abstract

The primary fatty acid of coconut oil is lauric acid, which is present at approximately 45–53 %. The metabolic and physiological properties of lauric acid account for many of the properties of coconut oil. Coconut oil is rapidly metabolized because it is easily absorbed and lauric acid is easily transported. Detailed studies have shown that the majority of ingested lauric acid is transported directly to the liver where it is directly converted to energy and other metabolites rather than being stored as fat. Such metabolites include ketone bodies, which can be used by extrahepatic tissues, such as the brain and heart, as an immediate form of energy. Studies on the effect of lauric acid on serum cholesterol are contradictory. Among saturated fatty acids, lauric acid has been shown to contribute the least to fat accumulation. Lauric acid and monolaurin have demonstrably significant antimicrobial activity against gram positive bacteria and a number of fungi and viruses. Today there are many commercial products that use lauric acid and monolaurin as antimicrobial agents. Because of the significant differences in the properties of lauric acid relative to longer chain fatty acids, they are typically differentiated as medium-chain fatty acids covering C6–C12, and long-chain fatty acids covering C14 and longer.

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Abbreviations

C6:

Caproic acid

C8:

Caprylic acid

C10:

Capric acid

C12:

Lauric acid

C14:

Myristic acid

C16:

Palmitic acid

C18:0:

Stearic acid

C18:1:

Oleic acid

C18:2:

Linoleic acid

C18:3:

Linolenic acid

LCFA:

Long-chain fatty acid(s)

LCT:

Long-chain triglyceride(s)

MCFA:

Medium-chain fatty acid(s)

MCT:

Medium-chain triglyceride(s)

MLG-1:

1-Monolaurin, 1-monolauryl glyceride

MLG-2:

2-Monolaurin, 2-monolauryl glyceride

TAG:

Triacylglyceride(s)

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Dayrit, F.M. The Properties of Lauric Acid and Their Significance in Coconut Oil. J Am Oil Chem Soc 92, 1–15 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11746-014-2562-7

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