The main difference between lecithin and phosphatidylcholine is that lecithin is a yellow-brown color fatty substance that occurs in egg yolk, organ meat, spinach, and nuts, whereas phosphatidylcholine is a major component of lecithin.
Lecithin and phosphatidylcholine are two types of lipid substances, well absorbed in the gut. They are essential for the health of an organism.
Key Areas Covered
1. What is Lecithin
– Definition, Structure, Function
2. What is Phosphatidylcholine
– Definition, Structure, Function
3. Similarities Between Lecithin and Phosphatidylcholine
– Outline of Common Features
4. Difference Between Lecithin and Phosphatidylcholine
– Comparison of Key Differences
Key Terms
Lecithin, Phosphatidylcholine
What is Lecithin
Lecithin is a fat-like substance that occurs in egg yolks and soybeans. Basically, egg yolk contains 3,362 milligrams of lecithin. Lecithin belongs to a large group of phospholipids. Therefore, lecithin is a mixture of essential fats. Soybean is a commercial source of lecithin. In crude vegetable oil, the gummy material is lecithin. Therefore, lecithin can be obtained by degumming the extracted oil of seeds. The main importance of lecithin is that it removes excess cholesterol from the body.
Figure 1: Lecithin
Furthermore, lecithin repairs malfunctioning systems of the body. It is important for the proper functioning of the liver, preventing the blocking and hardening of blood vessels. In addition, it helps the proper circulation of oxygen to all body tissues. Another important feature of lecithin is that it serves as an emulsifier, suspending oils and fats.
What is Phosphatidylcholine
Phosphatidylcholine is a class of phospholipids incorporating a choline group as a head group. It is a major component of the cell membrane. Egg yolks and soybeans are a major source of phosphatidylcholine. Phosphatidylcholine also serves as a major component of lecithin, a fatty substance that occurs in yellow-brown color substances, including egg yolk, spinach, nuts, and organ meat. Phosphatidylcholine is a major component of pulmonary surfactant, a surface-active complex of phospholipids and proteins produced by type II alveolar cells.
Figure 2: Phosphatidylcholine
Moreover, phosphatidylcholine contains a choline head group, glycerophosphoric acid, and a variety of fatty acids. Saturated fatty acids, including palmitic acid and margaric acid, and unsaturated fatty acids, including oleic acids, are the fatty acids that occur in phosphatidylcholine. Additionally, phosphatidylcholine is a commercially important substance. It is important for memory loss, liver disease, and Alzheimer’s disease.
Similarities Between Lecithin and Phosphatidylcholine
- Lecithin and phosphatidylcholine are two types of lipid substances essential for the health of organisms.
- They are well absorbed by the gut.
- They occur in egg yolk, nuts, spinach, and organ meat.
Difference Between Lecithin and Phosphatidylcholine
Definition
Lecithin refers to any of several waxy hygroscopic phospholipids that are widely distributed in animals and plants, form colloidal solutions in water, and have emulsifying, wetting, and antioxidant properties, while phosphatidylcholine refers to a substance widely distributed in animal tissues, egg yolk, and some higher plants, consisting of phospholipids linked to choline.
Significance
Lecithin is a yellow-brown fatty substance, while phosphatidylcholine is a major component of lecithin.
Occurrence
Moreover, lecithin occurs in egg yolk, organ meat, spinach, and nuts, while phosphatidylcholine occurs in the cell membrane.
Importance
Lecithin is important in metabolic processes and moving fat, while phosphatidylcholine regulates the physical properties of the cell membrane.
Conclusion
In brief, lecithin and phosphatidylcholine are two lipid substances that are well-absorbed by the gut. Lecithin is a yellow-brown color fatty substance occurring in egg yolk, nuts, spinach, and organ meat. It is important in moving fat. In addition, it is important in metabolic processes. In comparison, phosphatidylcholine is a lipid that occurs in the cell membrane. It is a major component of the cell membrane. Phosphatidylcholine is also a major component of lecithin. Therefore, the main difference between lecithin and phosphatidylcholine is their importance.
References:
- “Lecithin.” Encyclopædia Britannica.
- “Phosphatidylcholine: Overview, uses, side effects, precautions, interactions, dosing and reviews.” WebMD.
Image Courtesy:
- “Lecitina de soja en Montevideo” By Mx. Granger – Own work (CC0) via Commons Wikimedia
- “1-Oleoyl-2-almitoyl-phosphatidylcholine Structural Formulae V” By Ju – Own Work (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia
Leave a Reply