Crystallization Properties of Dietary Lipids Characterized by X-Ray Diffraction

X-ray diffraction (XRD) is a technique widely used to elucidate the organization of dietary lipids, mainly triacylglycerols (TAGs), in their solid state. XRD can be performed at the laboratory beamline or using high-flux synchrotron radiation. XRD patterns can be recorded at a single temperature or as a function of temperature to follow the crystallization properties of TAG on cooling, their melting behavior on heating, and polymorphic changes that can occur as a function of temperature and time.