Lipids are materials that are sparingly soluble or insoluble in water, but soluble in selected organic solvents such as benzene, chloroform, diethyl ether, hexane and methanol.
Although lipids a wide variety of structures, they possess a number of common features, which may be used in classifying them.
The following classification is limited to lipids of importance in animal nutrition and excludes the fat soluble vitamins that, although properly classified as lipids, following the classic practice of nutritionist.
A. Simple Lipids
Fatty acids
Neutral fats (mono-, di- and triacyl glycerols)
Wax
*Sterol ester
*Nonsterol ester
B. Compound Lipids
Compound lipids are subdivided into two groups:
Phospholipids
*Phosphatidic acids, lecithin, cephalins, etc
*Plasmalogens
*Sphinghomyelins
Glycolipid (carbohydrate containing)
Lipoproteins (lipids in combination with protein)
C. Derived Lipids, alcohol (including sterols and hydrocarbons)
General classification of lipids
