Lipid of the Month

Each month we highlight a lipid of scientific interest. The LIPID MAPS® Lipid of the Month Archive lists lipids highlighted from 2015 - present.

January 2025

Lipid of the month Triolein

The feast of Hanukkah straddles the new year in the Gregorian calendar, its eight days ending on 2nd January. It is a celebration connected with lipids in the form of fresh olive oil. Triolein, a glyceride in which all three positions of the glycerol are esterified with oleic acid makes up a substantial proportion of olive oil, up to half of it1. This fuelled the menorah, the 7-branched lamp which burned in the temple in Jerusalem. Following the rededication of the temple by the Maccabees in the year 164 BCE, only one day’s supply was available. It miraculously lasted eight days.

Triolein is also one of the two ingredients in Lorenzo’s oil, a putative treatment for adrenoleukodystrophy2 and made famous by the eponymous film. The other ingredient is glyceryl trierucate. Adrenoleukodystrophy is caused by a failure in beta-oxidation resulting in the body being unable to remove long-chain fatty acids.

Triolein is not only a lamp fuel, foodstuff and potential therapy, it might be effective in making drill lubricant too3. An all round useful molecule!

References

  • A straightforward quantification of triacylglycerols (and fatty acids) in monovarietal extra virgin olive oils by high-temperature GC
    Anal Methods
    2012
    DOI 10.1039/C2AY05574K
  • "Lorenzo's oil" therapy for X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy: rationale and current assessment of efficacy
    J Mol Neurosci
    2007
    DOI 10.1007/s12031-007-0041-4
  • A novel graphene/triolein complex-based lubricant for improving high temperature water-based drilling fluid
    RSC Adv
    2023
    DOI 10.1039/d3ra04850k

Lipid of the Month Archive

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