Occurrence of Diglycerides of Fatty Acids in Nature: Synthesis, Properties and Applications

Diglycerides (diacylglycerols) constitute an important class of neutral lipids composed of a glycerol backbone esterified with two fatty acid residues. They occupy an intermediate position between mono- and triglycerides and play a significant role both as metabolic intermediates and as functional lipid components. In natural systems, diglycerides are widely distributed in vegetable oils, animal fats, and biological tissues, where they participate in lipid metabolism, membrane remodeling, and intracellular signaling processes. Their content and isomeric composition are closely associated with enzymatic activity, storage conditions, and physiological state, making diglycerides informative indicators of lipid transformation. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the occurrence of diglycerides in nature, current approaches to their chemical and enzymatic synthesis, their key physicochemical properties, and their principal areas of application. Attention is given to glycerolysis and transesterification processes, including lipase-catalyzed methods that enable selective control over diglyceride structure and isomer distribution. The crystallization behavior, polymorphism, phase transitions, and rheological properties of diglycerides are discussed in the context of their functionality in complex lipid systems. Special emphasis is placed on emerging biomedical and pharmaceutical applications of diglycerides, including their role in lipid signaling, drug delivery systems, and the development of functionalized lipid-based therapeutic platforms.

کلیدواژه ها:

Diacylglycerols ، Lipid polymorphism ، Enzymatic Synthesis ، Drug delivery systems ، Antimicrobial activity ، Lipid-based formulations