We use medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) to make eye drops at our compounding pharmacy and I decided to do a little research. It seems that they can be derived by fractionation from Coconut Oil to be used for medical applications, special diets and cosmetics, sometimes also being used as a carrier oil for fragrances.
Fractionation is a separation process in which a certain quantity of a mixture (gas, solid, liquid, enzymes, suspension, or isotope) is divided during a phase transition, into a number of smaller quantities (fractions) in which the composition varies according to a gradient. Fractions are collected based on differences in a specific property of the individual components.
It seems that approximately 10–20% of the fatty acids in milk from horses, cows, sheep, and goats were medium-chain fatty acids. Some studies have shown calorie burning and weight loss abilities. They are sometimes used in bodybuilding. Patients who have malnutrition, malabsorption or particular fatty-acid metabolism disorders are treated with MCTs because MCTs do not require energy for absorption, use, or storage.
