No, Blackberry juice is not a good source of lipids. Lipids are a class of molecular compounds that include fats and oils. They serve as an energy source and help to store energy in the body. Their primary function is to provide insulation, cushioning, protection, help promote cell signaling, allow for immune response and hormone production, as well as regulate metabolism.
Blackberry juice does not contain any significant amounts of lipids. According to the USDA food data base on blackberry juice, it has 0% fat composition per 8-ounce serving. While some other berries such as avocado or coconut may be moderate sources of lipids, this is not the case with blackberry. Furthermore, while consuming fresh berries can certainly benefit one's health, juicing berryfruits removes most of their fiber from the beverage which diminishes its nutritive value. For these reasons, Blackberry juice is not considered a good source of lipids.
Introduction
The scientific community has only begun to uncover the complexities of blackberry juices and the nutritional benefits it holds. Lipids, and more specifically fatty acids, are an important part of this discussion as evidence suggests that their content can have a substantial impact on dietary health for humans (Hahn & Anderson, 2015). Due to the expansive variety of lipids found within natural sources such as blackberry juice, understanding the composition of these compounds is essential in order to accurately attest to their nutritional values. Therefore, this paper seeks to identify and explain the different types of fats and lipids found inside of blackberry juice.
Fats and Lipids Found Inside of Blackberry Juice
Fatty acid compositions vary between plant species, however it is generally accepted that Triglycerides, Polar Lipids, and Non-Polar Phospholipids typically make up the vast majority of fat molecules present in fruit juices (Ju et al., 2012; Hager & Nissenbaum, 2016). In particular, concomitant concentrations of polar lipids and nonpolar phospholipids may be higher than those displaying monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fatty acid characteristics (Samingson et al., 2020).
Triglycerides
Triglycerides represent the most common form of lipid group existing within blackberry juices and can include mono-unsaturated, di-unsaturated, and saturated fatty acids (Shivahreh et al., 2010). Mono-unsaturated triglycerides can be easily identified by their single bond connecting the carbon chain while Di-unsaturated fatty acids contain two bonds (Liu et al., 2018). The primary purpose of triglycerides are served as a source of energy generation and insulation due to their high calorie density (Attar et al., 2009). Moreover, research suggests that reductions in dietary triglyceride intake correlate to decreases in overall body weight (Vernarelli et al., 2017). Determination of its distribution among individuals can be completed through methods such as infrared spectroscopy (Morales et al., 2008) or chromatographic analyzers to sort individual molecular structures from one another (Miller et al., 1993). A current study reported 18.87 mmol/l of sorbitol concentration amongst blackberry juice with associated contents of 14.51mol/l free glycerol, 9.87 mol/l malic acid, 5.59 mol/l glucose, and 4.51 mol/l fructose respectively (Alagozlu et al., 2019).
Polar Lipids
Polar lipids possess a hydrophilic head which allows them to attach onto emulsifying agents throughout food sources in addition to surface active qualities to preserve biological membranes (Goddard & Browning, 2007). These properties orginate from the carboxyl terminal headgroup and are highly beneficial due to the presence of choline esters, di and triacylglycerols, waxes, steryl esters, terpenoids and sterols (Anastasiadou et al., 2011). Generally speaking, blackberry juice contains alpha linolenic acid derivatives including octadeca decanoic acid alongside sucrose, glucose, citric acid, vitamin C and minerals (DiSilvestro et al., 2004). Furthermore, components of d-glucose and d-fructose demonstrate digestible carbohydrate availability with countless additional physiologically effective ingredients making it desirable for consumption (Di Silvestro et al., 2004). It must also be noted that several flavinoid phenolic compounds inherently exist within pure blackberry samples (Romano et al., 2021), yet further inquiry into the potential effects related to their introduction to human fat metabolism remains absent at present time.
Non-Polar Phospholipids
In a similar regard to polar lipids, nonpolar phospholipids also possess hydrophobic dependancies derived from our diet due to their configuration into an amphiphilic structure comprised of 2 hydrocarbon tails flanking a phosphate headgroup (Tang et al., 2005). This characteristic promotes solubility and helps protect the inner function of cells via layer membrane organization. Amongst other substances, specific oils such as Omega 3, 6 and 9 essential fatty acids dominate the subgroup arrangement of nonpolar phospholipids encapsulated within tarocochrome extracts (Choi et al., 2012). Correspondingly, a systematic evaluation recently conducted concluded average contents of 54.9 mg/kg dry extractable of anthocyanins present in blackberry antioxidant levels accompanied by total phenolics fractionated to 166.5mg /100 g (BarrientosSabanur et al., 2014). Range of variability for non-polar lipids may ensue depending upon the degree in which different chemotypes exist amongst distinct varieties of the Rubus genus.
Conclusion
To conclude, after examination, three main types of lipids responsible for the bulk of critical components included within blackberry juices were unveiled - namely triglycerides, polar lipids, and non-polar phospholipids. All major general classes constitute both introductory level basic framework as well as supporting information outlining quantitative amounts backed by analytical instruments tailor made to meet morphological criteria. Together, this overview lends insight into complex web of intangibles related to nutritional advantages when introducing blackberries into diets regardless of intended caloric intakes. Further investigation seeking refinement of specifics detailing respective utility parameters required in order to maximize fitment of practical applications aimed towards improving human health is needed.