The occurrence and metabolism In vitro of unesterified fatty acid in mouse brain

Abstract

• 1.

  1. A method has been developed for the isolation and estimation of unesterified fatty acid in tissue extracts. This is based on treatment of extracted lipid with diazomethane followed by isolation of the methyl esters by chromatography on a thin layer of alumina.

• 2.

  2. It has been found that mouse brain contains appreciable quantities of unesterified fatty acid.

• 3.

  3. The principal acids were palmitic, stearic, oleic and arachidonic acids.

• 4.

  4. When mouse brain was incubated with sodium [I-¹⁴C]acetate for periods up to 6 h, 28%–66% of the incorporation into lipid was into unesterified fatty acid.

• 5.

  5. Of the principal acids acetate was incorporated into palmitic acid only.