Dietary triacetin, but not medium chain triacylglycerides, blunts weight gain in diet-induced rat model of obesity.

Consumption of a Western diet (WD) is known to increase the risk of obesity. Short or medium chain fatty acids influence energy metabolism, and triacetin, a synthetic short chain triacylglyceride, has been shown to lower body fat under normal conditions. This study aimed to investigate if triacetin as part of a WD modifies rat weight and body fat. Male rats were fed a control diet or WD for 8 weeks. At week 8, rats in the WD group were maintained on a WD diet or switched to a WD diet containing 30% energy from medium-chain triacylglyceride (WD-MCT) or triacetin (WD-T) for another 8 weeks. At week 16, rats were euthanized and liver, adipose and blood were collected. Tissue fatty acids (FAs) were quantified by gas chromatography (GC) and hepatic FAs were measured by GC-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry for δ13 C-palmitic acid (PAM)-a novel marker of de novo lipogenesis (DNL). Rats fed WD-T had a body weight not statistically different to the control group, and gained less body weight than rats fed WD alone. Furthermore, WD-T fed rats had a lower fat mass, and lower total liver and plasma FAs compared to the WD group. Rats fed WD-T did not differ from WD in blood ketone or glucose levels, however, had a significantly lower hepatic δ13 C-PAM value than WD fed rats; suggestive of lower DNL. In summary, we show that triacetin has the potential to blunt weight gain and adipose tissue accumulation in a rodent model of obesity, possibly due to a decrease in DNL.

Triacetin.

The Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety reviewed updated information that has become available since their original assessment from 2003, along with updated information regarding product types, and frequency and concentrations of use, and reaffirmed their original conclusion that Triacetin is safe as a cosmetic ingredient in the practices of use and concentration as described in this report.

Metronidazole-Loaded Camphor-Based In Situ Forming Matrix for Periodontitis Treatment.

Periodontitis is a widespread oral health problem caused by bacterial infections that lead to tooth loss and other systemic diseases. The aim of this study was to provide an alternative treatment for periodontitis by developing a metronidazole-loaded in situ forming matrix (ISM) using camphor as its matrix former. Five-percent w/w metronidazole dissolved in N-methyl pyrrolidone (NMP) with varying concentrations of camphor (30-50% w/w) and triacetin (0-25% w/w) were used. The physicochemical properties and antimicrobial activities of formulations were evaluated. Results showed that as the percentage of camphor increased, viscosity, density, contact angle, surface tension, and force of injection increased, while water tolerance decreased. The same trend was observed when increasing the triacetin concentration. The optimal metronidazole-loaded ISM was obtained at 40% w/w camphor and 5% w/w triacetin, which prolonged the release of metronidazole up to 6 days with Fickian diffusion release profile. The higher concentration of triacetin slowed down the phase inversion that led to an incomplete formation of the matrix and resulted in an inefficiently prolonged release of the metronidazole. Antimicrobial activities demonstrated that the developed formulation efficiently inhibited periodontitis-induced microorganisms including Porphyromonas gingivalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans. The metronidazole-loaded camphor-based ISM has potential as a new drug delivery system for periodontitis treatment.

Texture and volatile profiles of beef tallow substitute produced by a pilot-scale continuous enzymatic interesterification.

Edible beef tallow (BT) has been widely used in Sichuan hotpot due to its unique flavor and texture. However, BT should not be consumed in excess caused by its trans-fatty acids and cholesterol issues. In this study, a BT substitute was prepared after enzymatic interesterification in a pilot-scale packed-bed reactor using soybean oil and fully hydrogenated palm oil (4:3, w/w) as feedstock. The products were characterized against BT in terms of fatty acid/triacylglycerol compositions, solid fat content, polymorphism, and melting/crystallization behaviors to select the most promising BT substitute. The optimal flow rate was 120 mL/min. Changes in volatile compounds during stir-frying and simmering were also investigated for Sichuan hotpots made with these two oils. The volatile compounds of BT substitute were similar to that of natural BT. The findings will contribute to expanding the base oil categories of Sichuan hotpot oils.

Novel green production of natural-like vanilla extract from curcuminoids.

The demand for natural vanilla extract, and vanillin in particular, by far exceeds the current production, as both the cultivation of vanilla beans and the extraction of vanillin are laborious. For this purpose, most vanillin used today is produced synthetically, contrary to the general trend toward bio-based products. The present study deals with the synthesis of nature-based vanillin, starting with the more accessible rhizomes of the plant Curcuma longa. Besides vanillin, vanillic acid and p-hydroxybenzaldehyde are synthesized that way, which are also found in the natural vanilla bean. The extraction of the curcuminoids and, finally, their conversion to the flavors are performed using visible light and food-grade chemicals only. A binary mixture of ethanol and triacetin, as well as a surfactant-free microemulsion consisting of water, ethanol, and triacetin, are investigated in this context. The results exceed the literature values for Soxhlet extraction of vanilla beans by a factor > 7.

The effect of alginate scaffolds on bone healing in defects formed with drilling model in rat femur diaphysis.

Alginate (ALG) is a biocompatible and biodegradable polymer. Mechanical weakness is one of the main problems for the alginate-based scaffolds. Various plasticizer additives or modifications tested to improve the mechanical properties. In the presented study, ALG plasticized with triacetin (TA), and tributyl citrate (TBC) than tested on bone healing. In the presented study, the alginate modified with triacetin or tributyl citrate. In-vitro, and in-vivo efficiency of the scaffolds tested on bone tissue regeneration. Scaffolds fabricated by solvent casting, and physicochemical characterizations performed. Monocytes (THP-1) cultured with scaffolds, and macrophage-released cytokines was determined. In-vivo efficacy of the scaffolds was tested in the rat drill hole model. Alginate and tributyl citrate-modified scaffolds have no cytotoxic effect on osteoblastic cells (MC-3T3). Tributyl citrate modification increased tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) level but did not increase interleukin -1 beta (IL-1 beta) level. In vivo studies showed that osteoblastic growth was significant in alginate and triacetin-modified scaffolds. However, the best values for osteoclastic activity and osteoid tissue formation seen in the triacetin modification. The results demonstrated that the modified alginate scaffolds were more successful than non-modified alginate scaffolds and can used as long-term bone repairing treatments.

Tuning Immobilized Enzyme Features by Combining Solid-Phase Physicochemical Modification and Mineralization.

Lipase B from Candida antarctica (CALB) and lipase from Thermomyces lanuginosus (TLL) were immobilized on octyl agarose. Then, the biocatalysts were chemically modified using glutaraldehyde, trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid or ethylenediamine and carbodiimide, or physically coated with ionic polymers, such as polyethylenimine (PEI) and dextran sulfate. These produced alterations of the enzyme activities have, in most cases, negative effects with some substrates and positive with other ones (e.g., amination of immobilized TLL increases the activity versus p-nitro phenyl butyrate (p-NPB), reduces the activity with R-methyl mandate by half and maintains the activity with S-isomer). The modification with PEI increased the biocatalyst activity 8-fold versus R-methyl mandelate. Enzyme stability was also modified, usually showing an improvement (e.g., the modification of immobilized TLL with PEI or glutaraldehyde enabled to maintain more than 70% of the initial activity, while the unmodified enzyme maintained less than 50%). The immobilized enzymes were also mineralized by using phosphate metals (Zn2+, Co2+, Cu2+, Ni2+ or Mg2+), and this affected also the enzyme activity, specificity (e.g., immobilized TLL increased its activity after zinc mineralization versus triacetin, while decreased its activity versus all the other assayed substrates) and stability (e.g., the same modification increase the residual stability from almost 0 to more than 60%). Depending on the enzyme, a metal could be positively, neutrally or negatively affected for a specific feature. Finally, we analyzed if the chemical modification could, somehow, tune the effects of the mineralization. Effectively, the same mineralization could have very different effects on the same immobilized enzyme if it was previously submitted to different physicochemical modifications. The same mineralization could present different effects on the enzyme activity, specificity or stability, depending on the previous modification performed on the enzyme, showing that these previous enzyme modifications alter the effects of the mineralization on enzyme features. For example, TLL modified with glutaraldehyde and treated with zinc salts increased its activity using R-methyl mandelate, while almost maintaining its activity versus the other unaltered substrates, whereas the aminated TLL maintained its activity with both methyl mandelate isomers, while it decreased with p-NPB and triacetin. TLL was found to be easier to tune than CALB by the strategies used in this paper. In this way, the combination of chemical or physical modifications of enzymes before their mineralization increases the range of modification of features that the immobilized enzyme can experienced, enabling to enlarge the biocatalyst library.

Drug-plasticizer interactions causing solid state transitions of rifaximin.

Solid phase interactions are often the reason for incompatibilities in solid dosage forms. A special situation occurs, if the incompatible compounds are able to migrate within the solid matrix. This study describes for the first time the migration of a plasticizer from the coating into the core and its interaction with the active ingredient located there. This behavior was observed in rifaximin gastro-resistant granules and resulted in the formation of solvates with altered dissolution behavior. For a detailed study, rifaximin was incubated with five plasticizers of different solubility and miscibility as well as different molecular geometry (linear vs branched), (dibutyl sebacate, tributyl citrate, triacetin, polyethylene glycol 400, and propylene glycol). The resulting solid states were analyzed by means of PXRD, supported by thermogravimetric analysis, infrared spectroscopy, and quantitative H NMR. No direct correlation could be demonstrated between the resulting type of solvate/hydrate and the affinity of rifaximin with the respective plasticizers. Interestingly all plasticizers that are able to form type I solvates/hydrates have linear structures. This common feature, which distinguishes them from the more bulky TAC and TBC, seems to be a key characteristic. Rifaximin-PG-solvate formation was not only detected after direct incubation trials, but also observed in enteric coated granules.

The importance of atomic partial charges in the reproduction of intermolecular interactions for the triacetin - a model of glycerol backbone.

Lipids play a central role within the cell. They not only encompass it but are also engaged in many processes such as cellular transport and energy production. Despite ongoing advances in experimental studies, computer simulations are a viable method to trace their behavior at the atomic level and on an elusive time scale. In molecular modeling studies, the quality of the obtained results is associated with the considered force field and its parameters. In the present work, the authors have investigated the procedure of partial charges fitting on the example of a triacetin molecule, containing chemical moieties present in the glycerol backbone. The goal of the study was to validate assigned partial charges based on the quality of the torsion profiles using optimally assigned torsional coefficients and reproduction of the condensed phase properties of triacetin. We applied various approaches and noticed a significant improvement in the parameterization of triacetin compared to the original one. The results showed that it is important to take into account the intermolecular interactions in the partial charges fitting procedure to obtain good quality validation results.

A Simple Method to Simultaneously Determine the Level of Nicotine, Glycerol, Propylene Glycol, and Triacetin in Heated Tobacco Products by Gas Chromatography-Flame-Ionization Detection.

BACKGROUND: Currently, there is no validated and available method internationally to determine the contents of nicotine and aerosolizing agents, namely glycerol and propylene glycol, added onto the heatsticks for use in heated smoking devices. OBJECTIVE: To determine the concentrations of nicotine, propylene glycol, glycerol and triacetin in heated tobacco products (HTPs) which is essential to understanding their health effects on smokers as well as secondhand smokers. METHODS: A simple methodology was developed and validated to simultaneously determine nicotine, propylene glycol, glycerol, and triacetin concentrations present in heatsticks. The tobacco material was extracted with a mixture of methanol-acetonitrile (7 + 3, by volume) with 1,3-butanediol and n-heptadecane as internal standards and analyzed with gas chromatography with flame-ionization detection (GC-FID). RESULTS: Good linearity was achieved over the following concentration ranges: 0.1-1.0 mg/mL for nicotine, 0.03-2.0 mg/mL for propylene glycol, 0.5-10.0 mg/mL for glycerol, and 0.1-4.0 mg/mL triacetin, with a coefficient of determination ≥0.995. The limits of detection and quantification were 0.0009 and 0.003 mg/mL for nicotine, 0.02 and 0.02 mg/mL for propylene glycol, 0.03 and 0.09 mg/mL for glycerol, and 0.005 and 0.02 mg/mL for triacetin, respectively. Good recoveries were obtained for nicotine at 89.8-102.0%, propylene glycol at 95.5-102.5%, glycerol at 95.2-102.6%, and triacetin at 90.6-103.1%. CONCLUSION: This method provides an affordable and reliable technique for routine analysis of nicotine and aerosolizing chemicals present in HTPs which is necessary to assess their impact to public health. HIGHLIGHTS: Many gaps remain in research on HTPs, in particular, country levels information on the content of the products are limited. This article contains information on a newly developed method to simultaneously determine nicotine, propylene glycol, glycerol and triacetin present in the tobacco material and butts of heatsticks for HTPs.

'Menthol-Plus': a major category of cigarette found among 'concept' descriptor cigarettes from Mexico.

BACKGROUND: Tobacco companies are offering cigarettes with 'concept' descriptor names that suggest sensation and/or flavour properties (eg, Marlboro 'Velvet Fusion'). Little has been known about the identities and levels of flavour chemicals in such cigarettes. METHODS: Thirty-three filter cigarette variants from 27 packs (including two sampler packs with four variations each) from Canada and Mexico were analysed (rod + filter) for 177 flavour chemicals plus triacetin, a filter plasticiser and possible flavourant. Five brands of US mentholated filter cigarettes were also analysed. RESULTS: Twenty-seven of the 33 cigarettes (all were Mexican variants) were categorised as 'menthol-plus': significant menthol (3.0-11.9 mg/cigarette), plus varying amounts (0.32-3.4 mg/cigarette) of total other flavour chemicals (TOFCs) (excludes triacetin). For 10 of the 27, TOFCs >1.0 mg/cigarette. For 7 of the 27, the TOFCs profile was categorised as containing total fruit flavour compounds (TFFCs) >1.0 mg/cigarette. One Mexican variant was categorised as 'menthol-only' (TOFCs ≤0.15 mg/cigarette). All menthol-plus and menthol-only cigarettes contained one or two optional-crush capsules in their filters (crushed prior to analysis). All five Canadian brand variants were 'non-flavoured'. All five US brand variants were 'menthol-only'. CONCLUSIONS: All but one of the 'concept' descriptor cigarettes from Mexico were 'menthol-plus'. While the Canadian cigarettes complied with Canada's flavour chemical ban, concept descriptors on the packs may increase appeal. Given the scale of the problem posed by menthol alone, health officials seeking to decrease the appeal of smoked tobacco should examine the extent to which 'concept descriptor' cigarettes using 'menthol-plus' flavour profiling together with artful descriptors are furthering the problem of smoked tobacco.

Effect of plasticizers on drug-in-adhesive patches containing 5-fluorouracil.

Topical patches containing 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) are a feasible alternative to overcome the shortcomings of commercial cream for the treatment of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC). Plasticizers are a critical component of drug-in-adhesive (DIA) patches as they can significantly affect the mechanical, adhesive and drug release characteristics of the patches. Eudragit® E (EuE) is a methacrylate-based cationic copolymer capable of producing flexible and adhesive films for topical application. In this study, the effect of plasticizers on the mechanical, adhesive and 5-FU release characteristics of EuE-based patches was comprehensively evaluated. While the elongation at break (%) and adhesion of the films were significantly increased with increasing triacetin, dibutyl sebacate (DBS) and triethyl citrate (TEC) concentrations, the tensile strength showed an inverse relationship. EuE plasticized with 40% triacetin, 30% DBS or 40% w/w TEC produced elastic and adhesive films most suitable for topical application. In vitro release studies of the 5-FU-loaded patches demonstrated an initial burst release pattern during the first 10 min followed by a slow release over 120 min. In summary, this study provides important information on effect of plasticizers for preparation of EuE-based patches with desired mechanical, adhesive and release characteristics of 5-FU towards their potential application in the treatment of NMSC.

Improvement of the Solubilization and Extraction of Curcumin in an Edible Ternary Solvent Mixture.

A water-free, ternary solvent mixture consisting of a natural deep eutectic solvent (NADES), ethanol, and triacetin was investigated concerning its ability to dissolve and extract curcumin from Curcuma longa L. To this purpose, 11 NADES based on choline chloride, acetylcholine, and proline were screened using UV-vis measurements. A ternary phase diagram with a particularly promising NADES, based on choline chloride and levulinic acid was recorded and the solubility domains of the monophasic region were examined and correlated with the system's structuring via light scattering experiments. At the optimum composition, close to the critical point, the solubility of curcumin could be enhanced by a factor of >1.5 with respect to acetone. In extraction experiments, conducted at the points of highest solubility and evaluated via HPLC, a total yield of ~84% curcuminoids per rhizome could be reached. Through multiple extraction cycles, reusing the extraction solvent, an enrichment of curcuminoids could be achieved while altering the solution. When counteracting the solvent change, even higher concentrated extracts can be obtained.

An in vitro gel-based system for characterizing and predicting the long-term performance of PLGA in situ forming implants.

In situ forming implants are exposed to an extracellular matrix resembling a gel rather than aqueous solution upon subcutaneous administration. The aim of study was to develop a gel-based release testing system for characterizing the long-term in vitro behavior of in situ forming implants. The gel-based system consisted of an agarose gel mimicking the subcutaneous injection site and a receiver layer comprising phosphate buffer. Poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) in situ forming implants containing leuprolide acetate as the model peptide and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) or triacetin as co-solvent were investigated. The gel-based release testing system discriminated between the formulations. Accelerated release data obtained at elevated temperatures were able to predict real-time release applying the Arrhenius equation. Monitoring of the microenvironmental pH of the implants was performed by UV-Vis imaging in the gel-based system at 50 °C. A pH drop (from pH 7.4 to 6.7 for the NMP and DMSO implants, to pH 5.5 for the triacetin implants) within the first day was observed, followed by an increase to pH âˆ¼7.4. The gel-based system coupled with UV imaging offered opportunity for detailed evaluation and prediction of the in vitro performance of long-acting injectables, facilitating future development of in situ depot forming delivery systems.

N-acetyl l-aspartate and Triacetin modulate tumor suppressor MicroRNA and class I and II HDAC gene expression induce apoptosis in Glioblastoma cancer cells in vitro.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), grade IV glioma and is aggressive, malignant primary brain cancer. Altered expression and activity of epigenetic proteins such as histone deacetylases (HDACs) are involved in GBM metastasis. Also, acetates are important to brain metabolites that regulate cell proliferation and apoptosis. Here, we have examined the effect of the acetates on the cell-cycle. U87MG cancer cells treated with N-acetyl l-aspartate (NAA) and sodium acetate have exhibited G1 phase cell-cycle arrest whereas U87MG cells treated with Triacetin (TA), and potassium acetate has induced G2/M cell cycle arrest. We have observed inhibition of histone deacetylase (HDAC) mRNA levels in acetate treated U87MG cells. Interestingly, acetates-treated U87MG cells have shown a significant reduction in the mRNA level of class II HDACs than class I HDACs. Acetate treated cells have exhibited an enhanced expression of various microRNAs such as miR-15b, miR-92, miR-101, miR-155, miR-199, miR-200, miR-223, miR-16, and miR-17 that are involved in the inhibition of cancer cell proliferation, invasion, migration, and angiogenesis. Further, these acetate molecules regulate genes involved in mammalian target of rapamycin complex 2 (mTORC2) such as mammalian stress-activated protein kinase-interacting protein (mSIN1), protein observed with Rictor 2 (Protor 2), and protein kinase C α (PKCα). The present study reveals the possible involvement of the mTORC2 complex during acetate-mediated HDAC inhibition, as well as microRNA modulation. Furthermore, molecular modeling studies were employed to understand the binding mode of these acetate molecules to mTOR, Rapamycin-insensitive companion of mammalian target of rapamycin (Rictor), and HDAC-8 proteins. Thus in this study, we have identified the pivotal role of acetates in the modulation of mTOR complex, epigenetic genes and provide structural as well as functional insights that will help in future drug discovery against GBM cancer therapy.

Enzyme-support interactions and inactivation conditions determine Thermomyces lanuginosus lipase inactivation pathways: Functional and florescence studies.

Lipase from Thermomyces lanuginosus (TLL) has been covalently immobilized on heterofunctional octyl-vinyl agarose. That way, the covalently immobilized enzymes will have identical orientation. Then, it has blocked using hexyl amine (HEX), ethylenediamine (EDA), Gly and Asp. The initial activity/stability of the different biocatalysts was very different, being the most stable the biocatalyst blocked with Gly. These biocatalysts had been utilized to analyze if the enzyme activity could decrease differently along thermal inactivation courses depending on the utilized substrate (that is, if the enzyme specificity was altered during its inactivation using 4 different substrates to determine the activity), and if this can be altered by the nature of the blocking agent and the inactivation conditions (we use pH 5, 7 and 9). Results show great changes in the enzyme specificity during inactivation (e.g., activity versus triacetin was much more quickly lost than versus the other substrates), and how this was modulated by the immobilization protocol and inactivation conditions. The difference in the changes induced by immobilization and inactivation were confirmed by fluorescence studies. That is, the functional and structural analysis of partially inactivated immobilized enzyme showed that their inactivation pathway is strongly depended on the support features and inactivation conditions.

Controlling plasticizer migration based on crystal structure and micromorphology in propionylated starch-based food packaging nanocomposites.

Migration of additives is an important issue for proper application in food packaging. In this work, propionylated waxy and normal starch-based nanocomposites (PW-N and PN-N) with two different amylopectin content were immersed in distilled water, and structural changes and migration mechanism of plasticizer (triacetin) were discussed in detail. Results showed that when immersion time was prolonged to 150 h, small crystals of PN-N disappeared, and amorphous structures formed gradually in PW-N and PN-N. Exfoliated structures still remained in PW-N with prolonged immersion time, while exfoliated structures gradually formed from intercalated ones in PN-N, and the peak representing d001 (d-spacing) at q = 1.70 nm-1 faded. The migration mechanism of triacetin obeyed the first-order kinetic model and Fick's law; furthermore, in comparison with PW-N, PN-N showed a larger diffusion coefficient (D2 = 12.13 µm2·h-1). These results contributed to expanding the application of starch-based nanocomposites in future environmentally friendly food packaging.

Solubilization and extraction of curcumin from Curcuma Longa using green, sustainable, and food-approved surfactant-free microemulsions.

Curcumin is a powerful coloring agent widely used in the food industry. Its extraction from the plant Curcuma longa is commonly done with aqueous solvent solutions. In contrast to the conventional extraction methods, the present study aimed to compare two different green and bio-based surfactant-free microemulsion (SFME) extraction systems, which are approved for food and yield a higher extracting power of curcuminoids. Two SFMEs, water/ethanol/triacetin and water/diacetin/triacetin, were investigated via dynamic light scattering. Curcumin solubility in binary mixtures consisting of ethanol/triacetin or diacetin/triacetin was studied both experimentally and theoretically using UV-Vis measurements and COSMO-RS. The SFMEs were further examined and compared to a common ethanol/water (80/20) extraction mixture with respect to their extracting ability using high performance liquid chromatography. The SFMEs containing ethanol were found to extract ~18% more curcuminoids than the SFMEs containing diacetin and ~53% more than the ordinary ethanol/water mixture.

A Simple and Rapid High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Photodiode Array Method for Quantitation of Triacetin Contents From 30 Batches Produced in China.

In our present study, the standard chemicals of triacetin were purified by reverse-phase and normal-phase semi-preparative high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and 1H NMR and 13C NMR were employed to determine the purity and structure of triacetin. Moreover, a simple and rapid HPLC-photodiode array (PDA) method was developed to determine the contents of triacetin in 30 batches from different suppliers. The chromatographic separation was performed on a Phenomenex Gemini-NX C18 column (250 × 4.6 mm, 5 µm) using a gradient elution system of water and acetonitrile (contained 0.1% of formic acid) solution with a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min at 30°C at 210 nm. Sample preparation method is rapid and energy efficient, and the obtained sample have a good purity. Validation shows good specificity, linearity (R2 = 0.9995), precision, stability, repeatability (% RSD < 2.80) and the average recovery (99.72%) of triacetin. The content of triacetin in most samples is concentrated in 94-97%. This developed approach is simple, rapid, accurate and can be used to quickly determine the purity and the content of triacetin in plasticizers and filter plugs.

Optimization and Characterization of Mesoporous Sulfonated Carbon Catalyst and Its Application in Modeling and Optimization of Acetin Production.

In this study, an optimized mesoporous sulfonated carbon (OMSC) catalyst derived from palm kernel shell biomass was developed using template carbonization and subsequent sulfonation under different temperatures and time conditions. The OMSC catalyst was characterized using acid-base titration, elemental analysis, XRD, Raman, FTIR, XPS, TPD-NH3, TGA-DTA, SEM, and N2 adsorption-desorption analysis to reveal its properties. Results proved that the OMSC catalyst is mesoporous and amorphous in structure with improved textural, acidic, and thermal properties. Both FTIR and XPS confirmed the presence of -SO3H, -OH, and -COOH functional groups on the surface of the catalyst. The OMSC catalyst was found to be efficient in catalyzing glycerol conversion to acetin via an acetylation reaction with acetic acid within a short period of 3 h. Response surface methodology (RSM), based on a two-level, three-factor, face-centered central composite design, was used to optimize the reaction conditions. The results showed that the optimized temperature, glycerol-to-acetic acid mole ratio, and catalyst load were 126 °C, 1:10.4, and 0.45 g, respectively. Under these optimum conditions, 97% glycerol conversion (GC) and selectivities of 4.9, 27.8, and 66.5% monoacetin (MA), diacetin (DA), and triacetin (TA), respectively, were achieved and found to be close to the predicted values. Statistical analysis showed that the regression model, as well as the model terms, were significant with the predicted R2 in reasonable agreement with the adjusted R2 (<0.2). The OMSC catalyst maintained excellent performance in GC for the five reaction cycles. The selectivity to TA, the most valuable product, was not stable until the fourth cycle, attributable to the leaching of the acid sites.