In a study of the interaction of partial acylglycerols and triacylglycerols
in milk fat, Foubert et al. (2004) reported two mechanisms
of interaction with the triacylglycerol crystals. The first
resulted in slower crystal growth, due to competition in binding
with the triacylglycerols. The second form involved organisation
in a micellar structure of partial acylglycerols, acting as nucleation
facilitators, as described by Savage and Dimick (1995) and Skoda
and Van de Tempel (1967), reducing the induction time and
increasing the number of crystalline nuclei.