Digestion of butyrate glycerides by pancreatic lipase

Abstract

The racemic triglycerides, glyceryl-1-palmitate-2,3-dibutyrate (PBB), glyceryl-1-butyrate-2,3-dipalmitate (PPB), glyceryl-2-butyrate-1,3-dipalmitate (PBP), and the diglyceride, racemic glyceryl-1-palmitate-3-butyrate (P-B) were synthesized and digested with pancreatic lipase. Each triglyceride was mixed with equimolar amounts of triolein (OOO) prior to incubation.The following order of digestion rates was observed: PBB>PPB>PBP>P-B. There was no evidence for short-chain fatty acid specificity; however the triglycerides containing butyric acid were hydrolyzed more rapidly than OOO. Based upon the fatty acid composition of partial glycerides, digestion of butyrate glycerides was not a simple phenomenon. For example, in the digestion of PBB, butyric acid accumulated faster than palmitic acid in the diglycerides, and monobutyrin was found to accumulate when the diglyceride, P-B, was digested. As evidenced by the fatty acid composition of the monoglycerides, positional specificity of pancreatic lipase was always maintained.