tristearin

9.6

A fat in animal and plant oils made of three stearic acids and glycerol

noun
/ˌtrɪsˈtɪərɪn/

Specialized

: tristearina

Cocoa butter contains significant amounts of tristearin, contributing to its texture and melting point.

Examples

During saponification, tristearin is broken down into glycerol and stearic acid.
Many animal fats contain tristearin as a major component.
Tristearin is frequently used in laboratory studies to investigate fat digestion and absorption.
The chemical formula for tristearin is C57H110O6.
Tristearin is commonly found in animal fats and is often used in food production.
In addition to biological applications, tristearin plays a role in the formulation of certain cosmetics.
Tristearin can be derived from both animal and plant sources, making it versatile for various industries.

Synonyms

stearin

vstristearin

Specialized

1 9.9

A white, waxy fat used to make candles, soaps, and cosmetics

is a pure triglyceride identified by three attached fatty acids and found in oils

glycerol tristearate

vstristearin

Specialized

7.4

A fat-like ingredient that helps mix oil and water in foods and creams

is the same triglyceride commonly present in animal and vegetable oils

Surface Forms

tristearin singular

tristearins plural

Morphology

tristearin = stearin (semi-transparent) = tri + stearin

Formed by productive prefix 'tri-' meaning 'three' added to the noun 'stearin', directly indicating three stearin units in the molecule.

Etymology

The word tristearin breaks into tri- meaning 'three', like in tricycle, and stearin, from a word for 'fat' or 'tallow'. So, tristearin is a fat made of three stearic acid parts joined to a glycerol molecule.