title: The phytanic acid content of the lipids of bovine tissues and milk.
abstract: In three steers which were given grass silage for six months, the content of phytanic acid (i.e. 3,7,11,15-tetramethyl-hexadecanoic acid) in plasma lipid increased to about 8% of the total fatty acids, whereas after this time the proportion in the total fatty acids of liver and heart lipids was about 1%, and only 0.1% in those of kidney lipids; the acid was present in trace amounts in adipose-tissue triglycerides and was apparently absent from brain lipids. In eight lactating cows which were given grass silage for about 3 months, the content of phytanic acid in the total long chain fatty acids of milk and of plasma was 0.7% and 13%, respectively. In the plasma lipids of both steers and lactating cows, phytanic acid constituted a substantial proportion of the total fatty acids of the triglycerides and phospholipids; the acid was present in lowest proportion in the cholesteryl esters.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D002417:Cattle; D002788:Cholesterol Esters / Q000032:analysis; D004537:Eicosanoic Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D007668:Kidney / Q000032:analysis*; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis; D008099:Liver / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D008892:Milk / Q000032:analysis*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000032:analysis*; D009852:Omentum / Q000032:analysis; D009928:Organ Specificity; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000032:analysis; D010831:Phytanic Acid / Q000032:analysis*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D002788:Cholesterol Esters; D004537:Eicosanoic Acids; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; D008055:Lipids; D010743:Phospholipids; D014280:Triglycerides; D010831:Phytanic Acid