Application Notes:
This high purity anteiso-heptadecanoic acid is ideal for use as a standard 1 and in biological studies. Many types of bacteria
and marine organisms produce anteiso-fatty acids which can be used for their characterization.2 Some bacteria have iso- but
not anteiso-fatty acids while others have anteiso- but not iso-fatty acids. anteiso-Fatty acids are also found in ruminant
animals (from the rumen microorganisms) and in ruminant milk mainly from the food chain but also due to some de novo
synthesis. Branched chain fatty acids have been found in the gut of newborn animals where they have a role in the
microorganism gut colonization.3 Some bacteria handle stress (such as heat and toxicity) by changing the ratio of anteiso/isofatty
acids in the cell membrane. Although anteiso-fatty acids are not usually found in plant oils the waxy surface of leaves
can contain significant amounts of these fatty acids. Branched chain fatty acids are critical for the regulation of fluidity in
membranes and in membrane transport for many types of bacteria due to their having a significantly lower transition
temperature than straight chain fatty acids. This anteiso-14-methylhexadecanoic acid has been found in pine seed oil, a major
exception to branched chain fatty acids which are found almost exclusively in animals and microorganisms.4
References:
1. N. Jensen and M. Gross “Fast Atom Bombardment and Tandem Mass Spectrometry for Determining Iso- and Anteiso- Fatty Acids” Lipids, Vol. 21(5) pp.
362-365, 1986
2. E. Kim et al. “Fatty Acid Profiles Associated with Microbial Colonization of Freshly Ingested Grass and Rumen Biohydrogenation” Journal of Dairy
Science, Vol. 88 pp. 3220-3230, 2005
3. R. Ran-Ressler et al. “Branched Chain Fatty Acids Are Constituents of the Normal Healthy Newborn Gastrointestinal Tract” Pediatric Research, Vol.
64(6) pp. 605-609, 2008
4. R. Wolff, W. Christie and D. Coakley “The unusual occurrence of 14-methylhexadecanoic acid in pinaceae seed oils among plants” Lipids, vol. 32 pp,
971-973, 1997