Soybean Oil Refining

 

 

III -  FATTY ACID COMPOSITION OF SOYBEAN OIL 

 

TABLE IV indicates the fatty acid composition (wt %) 

 

 

IV - TRIGLYCERIDE STRUCTURE 

 

Because of the high unsaturated acid content of soybean oil nearly all of the glyceride 

molecules contain at least 2 unsaturated FA, and di-and tri-saturated glycerides are essentially 

absent. 

 

The fatty acids are not randomly distributed in a single glyceride molecule, and the glyceride 

is biosynthesized with a definite configuration. 

 

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Each hydroxyl group of glycerol is unique and has been assigned a stereospecifically 

numbered (sn) position as in the following general structure - Table V (1). 

 

These analyses are determined by a combination of enzyme hydrolysis (lipase) with thin-

layer chromatography (TLC) and gas- liquid chromatography (GLC). A typical distribution 

for the soybean oil triglyceride structures has been given as shown Table V.