10.1016/0006-3002(52)90066-8
The study investigates the enzymatic hydrolysis of tripropionyl glycerol by liver esterase and pancreatic lipase. Liver esterase rapidly cleaves one acid group from tripropionyl glycerol, forming 1,2-dipropionyl glycerol, which then preferentially releases the propionyl group in position 1 at a slower rate, ultimately yielding 2-monopropionyl glycerol that decomposes very slowly. Pancreatic lipase, however, converts tripropionyl glycerol into 1,2-dipropionyl glycerol, with the reaction nearly halting thereafter. The study also synthesizes various propionyl glycerols and other propionyl esters to elucidate the hydrolysis pathway and the impact of ester structure on hydrolysis rates, revealing that free hydroxyl groups, especially primary ones, significantly inhibit enzyme activity.