Lecithin

Lecithin is a mixture rich in phospholipids, especially phosphatidylcholine, found in cell membranes and used to help stabilize oil-and-water mixtures.

Phosphatidylcholine: A phospholipid with a choline-containing head group, abundant in cell membranes and many lecithin mixtures. It is often lecithin’s dominant phospholipid and a key contributor to its emulsifying behavior.
Food additive: A substance added to food to affect its properties or support its processing. Lecithin is added to foods mainly to aid emulsification and improve mixing.
Phospholipid: A lipid containing a phosphate group, commonly with a water-attracting head and two hydrophobic tails. Lecithin is a mixture of phospholipids rather than one chemically uniform substance.
Egg lecithin: A phospholipid-rich mixture derived from egg yolk. It is a traditional lecithin source distinct from the common soy-derived commercial product.
Amphiphile: A molecule with both water-attracting and oil-attracting regions. Lecithin’s amphiphilic structure lets it associate with both phases of an emulsion.
Chocolate: A food made from cocoa solids and cocoa butter, often combined with sugar and other ingredients. Lecithin can reduce chocolate’s flow resistance, helping it coat and mold more easily.
Phosphatidylethanolamine: A phospholipid with an ethanolamine head group, found in cell membranes and lecithin mixtures. It is one of the phospholipid species that may occur alongside phosphatidylcholine in lecithin.
Mono- and diglycerides: Food emulsifiers made from glycerol and one or two fatty-acid chains. They stabilize some of the same food mixtures as lecithin but have different molecular structures.
Emulsion: A mixture in which droplets of one liquid are dispersed throughout another immiscible liquid. Lecithin helps keep oil droplets dispersed in water rather than quickly separating.
Soy lecithin: A phospholipid-rich mixture obtained during the processing of soybean oil. It is a widely used commercial source of lecithin in foods and other products.

Linked from 12 pages