Question

The process of adding hydrogen to the double bonds of the unsaturated fatty acids, thereby converting them to their saturated analogs is called as:

• A. Hydrogenation
• B. Deamination
• C. Fermentation
• D. Hydrolysis

Hint:

In ruminants, anaerobic rumen microbes perform "biohydrogenation" to protect themselves from the toxic effects of unsaturated fatty acids, which explains why ruminant body fat is highly saturated.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Unsaturated fatty acids contain one or more carbon-carbon double bonds (\(C=C\)), while saturated fatty acids contain only single bonds (\(C-C\)). Chemical or biological processes can modify these bonds.

Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
1. Hydrogenation is the chemical addition of hydrogen (\(H_2\)) across the double bonds of unsaturated fatty acids. This converts unsaturated double bonds into saturated single bonds, increasing the melting point of the lipid (e.g., converting liquid vegetable oil into solid margarine/vanaspati).
2. Deamination is the removal of an amino group from an amino acid.
3. Fermentation is the anaerobic biochemical breakdown of organic substances by microbes.
4. Hydrolysis is the cleavage of chemical bonds by the addition of water.
Thus, the described process is hydrogenation (specifically biohydrogenation in the rumen).

Step 4: Final Answer
The correct option is (A).