Question

Question: Trimyristin, a solid fat present in nutmeg, is hydrolyzed to give one equivalent of glyceroland three equivalents of myristic acid. Give the structure of trimyristin.

Short answer

Trimyristin is an ester havingthe formula ${\mathbf{C}}_{\mathbf{45}}{\mathbf{H}}_{\mathbf{86}}{\mathbf{O}}_{\mathbf{6}}$ .It comes under the category of saturated fat and is a triglyceride of myristic acid.

Step-by-step solution

Step 1:Trimyristin

Trimyristin is an ester havingthe formula ${\mathbf{C}}_{\mathbf{45}}{\mathbf{H}}_{\mathbf{86}}{\mathbf{O}}_{\mathbf{6}}$ .It comes under the category of saturated fat and is a triglyceride of myristic acid.

Structure of Trimyristin

Trimyristin can be easily obtained by stirring the nutmeg in some acetone. The mixture is then filtered. The acetone is then evaporated leaving a waxy residue of trimyristin. The structure can be given as:

Structure of Trimystin