A Few Tips To Better Know About Neutral Lipids

1. What Are Neutral Lipids?

Neutral lipids are defined as hydrophobic molecules lacking charged groups. Neutral lipids, such as cholesteryl ester (CE), triacylglycerol (TAG), and wax ester (WE), provide organisms with inert forms of energy used in conditions of nutrient deprivation and environmental stress. They also provide an excellent “sink” to buffer the toxic effects of fatty acids and fatty alcohols.

Elevated cytoplasmic deposition of neutral lipids (primarily CE and TAG) is a significant risk factor for several disease pathologies, including diabetes, obesity, atherosclerosis, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (41, 53, 101). For example, the accumulation of CE in smooth muscle cells and macrophages in the vessel wall comprises the earliest recognizable stage in atherosclerotic plaque formation. Furthermore, serum levels of TAG and total cholesterol are independent risk factors for atherosclerosis. Similarly, the loading of TAG into the cytoplasm of adipocytes represents the basic unit of obesity and thus accounts for fat accumulation in all obese syndromes.

2. Are Free Fatty Acids Neutral Lipids?

The neutral lipids consisted of triglycerides (30%), sterols (29%), free fatty acids (24%), steryl esters (9%), and diglycerides (8%) and small amounts of fatty alcohols. The fatty acid profiles of these lipids were very similar although quantitative differences were detected.

3. Why Acylglycerol Are Called Neutral Lipids?

Neutral fats, in particular, are fats that are described as neutral because they are uncharged and do not contain acidic or basic groups. They are nonpolar and hydrophobic. A triglyceride would have three fatty acids reacting the hydroxyl functional group of the glycerol. Since the reaction product glyceride has no charge, it is called neutral lipid.

4. Neutral Lipids Vs Polar Lipids?

Neutral lipids predominantly consist of storage triacylglycerols and wax esters, while polar lipids mainly comprise membrane glycolipids and phospholipids. Due to the different composition, neutral and polar lipids have different functions and structures in different species.

5. Where to Find Neutral Lipids?

As global leading drug delivery company that provides customized solutions for developing and producing new, biocompatible drug delivery systems, CD Bioparticles offers neutral lipids to the scientific community for research usage with various categories, such as PAHSA, Prenols,Glycerides, Eicosanoids, Prostaglandins, N-Acylglycine (NAGly), Oxygenated Fatty Acids, Glycosylated Diacyl Glycerols, and Very Long Chain Fatty Acids (VLCFA).

• Hydroxy Oleic Acid, for instance, is an inducer of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in several cancer cell lines, including glioma, leukemia, breast and colon cancer lines. 2-Hydroxy Oleic Acid increases sphingomyelin (SM) levels in the membranes of tumor cells, which typically display decreased SM membrane content, and remodeled membranes, compared with normal cells. The compound has no effect on SM levels in non-cancer cells.

For information on neutral lipids or to discuss your specific requirements, please feel free to contact us.

References

1. Turkish AR, Sturley SL. The genetics of neutral lipid biosynthesis: an evolutionary perspective. American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2009, 297(1):E19-27.
2. Athenstaedt K. Neutral lipids in yeast: synthesis, storage and degradation. Handbook of hydrocarbon and lipid microbiology.
3. Sul, Donggeun, et al. Neutral lipids, their fatty acids, and the sterols of the marine ciliated protozoon, Parauronema acutum. Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology. 2000, 47(4):373-8.
4. Şen Özdemir, Nurgül, et al. Neutral and polar lipid fatty acids in five families of demersal and pelagic fish from the deep Northwest Atlantic. ICES Journal of Marine Science. 2019, 76(6):1807-15.