title: Elongation of (omega-14C)oleic acid and (omega-14C)nervonic acid.
abstract: During feeding experiments with [omega-14C]oleic acid and [omega-14c]nervonic acid to adult rats, 14C-labelled C26, C28 and C30 fatty acids were recovered from the intestinal mucosa, liver, plasma, kidney and stools. The structures of these fatty acids were determined by g.l.c., radio-g.l.c. and mass spectrometry. The Schmidt and Ginger degradation methods indicated that most of the 14C found in these extra-long fatty acids remained in the omega position. These radioactive extra-long fatty acids were found mainly in the polar lipids of rats killed 3 or 15 h after being fed on labelled oleic acid or nervonic acid. Rats killed 63 h later yielded only traces of these extra-long fatty acids. When the rats were given antibiotics or received the same radioactive fatty acids by intravenous injection, the labelled extra-long fatty acids could not be detected in any of the tissues. We conclude that they were probably synthesized by elongation of oleic acid and nervonic acid by intestinal micro-organisms (probably yeasts) and then absorbed by the intestinal mucosa.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D009829:Oleic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D009829:Oleic Acids