trans-6-Hexadecenoic acid in the Atlantic leatherbackDermochelys coriacea coriacea L. and other marine turtles

Abstract

Depot fat from the Atlantic leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea coriacea L.) was shown to contain ≈3% oftrans-6-hexadecenoic acid. Structural details were elucidated through comparative aspects of isolation techniques, NMR, IR, hydrogenation, oxidative fission, etc., and confirmed by similarity of properties with those of a sample of fatty acid of this structure isolated from the seed oil ofPicramnia sellowii. One additional leather-back turtle oil sample, and depot fat from two other marine turtles, the loggerhead (Caretta caretta caretta) and ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea kempi) contained this acid, that from the ridley in a lower proportion. No corresponding C18 acid was detected in the leatherback oil.