Long-chain fatty acids nomenclature

Nomenclature and sources of long-chain fatty acids. 192... 

Nomenclature and bond positions of major long-chain fatty acids... 

The most common dietary fatty acids are the saturated long-chain fatty acids palmitate (C16) and stearate (C18), the monounsaturated fatty acid oleate (C18 l), and the polyunsaturated essential fatty acid, linoleate (C18 2) (To review fatty acid nomenclature, consult Chapter 5). Animal fat contains principally saturated and monounsaturated long-chain fatty acids, whereas vegetable oils contain linoleate and some longer-chain and polyunsaturated fatty acids. They also contain smaller amounts of branched-chain and odd-chain-length fatty acids. Medium-chain-length fatty acids are present principally in dairy fat (e.g., milk and butter), maternal milk, and vegetable oils. 

Fatty acids are known by several names volatile fatty acids from Ci to C5, fatty acids from Cg to C24, long-chain fatty acids from C25 to C40, and very long chain fatty acids above C40. One can also find other names in the chemical nomenclature. The correct name for this group of carboxylic aliphatic acids (with or without any additional functions) is simply. 

These fatty acid derivatives may be considered as complex lipids since they are formed of one fatty acid, a 3 -phospho-AMP linked to phosphorylated pantothenic acid (Vitamin F) and cysteamine. However, to simplify the nomenclature and taking into account their metabolism, we classify them within the big group of the fatty acids and their simple derivatives rather than within the complex and phosphorylated lipids. Long-chain acyl-CoA esters are substrates for a number of important enzymatic reactions and play a central role in the regulation of metabolism as allosteric regulators of several enzymes. 

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