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Human erythrocyte phosphoglycerides. II. Diet and lecithin structure
Author(s) -
Farquhar J. W.
Publication year - 1965
Publication title -
journal of the american oil chemists' society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.512
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1558-9331
pISSN - 0003-021X
DOI - 10.1007/bf02541298
Subject(s) - triolein , lecithin , chemistry , linoleic acid , polyunsaturated fatty acid , oleic acid , silicic acid , biochemistry , fatty acid , food science , corn oil , organic chemistry , lipase , enzyme
Lecithins (separated on basic silicic acid columns) were obtained from humans fed three different diets: either ad‐libitum or diets containing 40% of calories from linoleic acid (as corn oil) or from oleic acid (as triolein). Four lecithin subfractions were studied from each dietary group. Lecithin fractions eluting earliest (and apparently the least polar) contained the highest molar ratios of unsaturated fatty acids and the highest proportion of C‐20 to C‐22 polyunsaturated fatty acids. A slight increase in proportions of diunsaturated molecules occurred in corn oil and triolein groups. However, over 90% of lecithins of each dietary group were maintained as the monosaturated ‐ monounsaturated type. Therefore, in contrast to human adipose tissue triglycerides, the saturated/unsaturated fatty acid ratio of lecithins of the erythrocyte membrane is largely unaffected by immense increases in dietary unsaturated fatty acid. Major shifts of oleic and linoleic acid occurred but proportions were unaltered of longer chain length (>C‐18) polyunsaturated fatty acids. The relevance of these findings to membrane structure and function and to glycerophosphatide biosynthesis is discussed.