CBT 8 Bio #121

[Genie133]

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Does anyone know why an unsaturated fatty acid would be able to isomerize to produce 2 fatty acids when treated with NaOH? Its from CBT 8, #121 in the bio section.

 

[greg1184]

cis/trans?

 

[werd]

cis/trans?

yes. the double bond gets at least transiently hydroxylated; when the double bond re-forms it has no "memory" and will form partially "cis" and partially "trans" double bonds. at least i think this is what your question asks, i don't actually have access to the q. werd.

 

[Genie133]

here's the question:


Which of the following is the most plausible explanation for the fact that the saponification of the triacylglycerol in the passage resulted in four different fatty acid salts?
(it was just a generic triacylglycerol with R groups)
ANSWER:
One of the fatty acid salts was unsaturated, and a small percentage isomerized under the reaction conditions.
EXPLANATION:
If one of the R groups in the triacylglycerol contained a carbon–carbon double bond and if isomerization of the double bond occurred during the saponification reaction, four fatty acids would be obtained instead of three.



does anyone understand what this is saying?

 

[artaxerxes]

here's the question:


Which of the following is the most plausible explanation for the fact that the saponification of the triacylglycerol in the passage resulted in four different fatty acid salts?
(it was just a generic triacylglycerol with R groups)
ANSWER:
One of the fatty acid salts was unsaturated, and a small percentage isomerized under the reaction conditions.
EXPLANATION:
If one of the R groups in the triacylglycerol contained a carbon–carbon double bond and if isomerization of the double bond occurred during the saponification reaction, four fatty acids would be obtained instead of three.



does anyone understand what this is saying?

makes sense, you have cis trans versions of 1 R group+2 other R groups.