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Chemical synthesis of tricaproin, trienantin and tricaprylin
Author(s) -
Da Rocha Ataide Terezinha,
De Lima Maria Raquel Ferreira,
Valentim Iara Barros,
Pinheiro Denise Maria,
Sant'Ana Antônio Euzébio Goulart
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
international journal of food science and technology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.831
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1365-2621
pISSN - 0950-5423
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2621.2006.01376.x
Subject(s) - caprylic acid , caproic acid , catalysis , chemistry , volatility (finance) , yield (engineering) , solvent , organic chemistry , reagent , glycerol , materials science , fatty acid , financial economics , economics , metallurgy
Summary In the present work, we optimised the glycerol + caproic acid/enantic acid/caprylic acid esterification conditions, using chemical routes, in order to get tricaproin, trienantin and tricaprylin in a medium solely composed of reagents. The option for cleaner conditions, without catalyst and solvent was preferred. The best conditions for tricaprylin and trienantin chemical synthesis were 6 h of contact, with a temperature around 160 ± 5 °C, followed by a 20 h of contact using higher temperatures (around 200 ± 5 °C). The volatility of caproic acid impeded the prolonged use of higher temperatures and this limited the yield of tricaproin that could be obtained. The synthesis of these triacylglycerols in the absence of both solvent and catalyst is of importance in consideration of the possible nutritional use of the products so formed.