title: The di- and triesters of the lipids of steer and human meibomian glands.
abstract: Three groups of diesters have been isolated and identified in the lipids of steer meibomian glands. The first group, designated as alpha Type I, with the abbreviated formula FA-alpha OHFA-FAlc, consisted of alpha-hydroxy fatty acids esterified to fatty acids and fatty alcohols in the approximate molar ratio 1:1:1. The second group, designated as omega Type I-St, with the abbreviated formula FA-omega OHFA-St, consisted of omega-hydroxy fatty acids esterified to fatty acids and sterols in the approximate molar ratio 1:1:1. The third group, designated as alpha, omega Type II, with the abbreviated formula FA-alpha, omega diol-FA, consisted of alpha, omega-diols esterified to 2 moles of fatty acids. The sum of the different diesters comprised about 9% of total steer meibomian lipids. Capillary GLC of the fatty acids of alpha Type I diesters showed the fatty acids to be a family with a two-cluster profile, one at C12 to C20 and the other at C21 to C31, with anteiso chains predominating. Fatty acids from omega Type I-St and alpha, omega Type II diesters gave mainly a one-cluster profile in the short chain region with prominent anteiso and C18:1 peaks. Fatty alcohols of alpha Type I diesters were mainly long chain, C23 to C30, with anteiso chains predominating, while the alpha-hydroxy fatty acids were short chain C13 to C18 acids with C16 predominating. The sterols in diesters omega Type I-St were cholesterol (approximately 60%), delta 7 cholestenol (approximately 35%) and an unidentified compound (approximately 5%) with a GLC retention time slightly longer than delta 7 cholestenol on SE-30 phase. The omega-hydroxy fatty acids and alpha, omega-diols both were of exceedingly long chain lengths, C29-C38, and showed similar GLC profiles. Two types of triesters comprising approximately 1% of total steer meibomian lipids have been isolated but incompletely characterized. In terms of molar ratios, one group of triesters gave fatty acids:omega-hydroxy fatty acids:alpha-hydroxy fatty acids:sterols + fatty alcohols as approximately 1:1:1:1. The other contained fatty acids, alpha-hydroxy fatty acids and alpha, omega-diols in what appears to be a complex mixture of several triesters. Diesters omega Type I and alpha, omega Type II also were found in human meibum. Hitherto these two diesters have not been found in any animal tissue.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002849:Chromatography, Gas / Q000379:methods; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer / Q000379:methods; D004952:Esters; D005143:Eyelids / Q000032:analysis*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D006880:Hydroxy Acids / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008537:Meibomian Glands / Q000032:analysis*; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D004952:Esters; D005227:Fatty Acids; D006880:Hydroxy Acids