Application Notes:
The fatty acid of this cyclopropanoid fatty acid methyl ester is a major constituent of some seed oils and also occurs in some
bacterial membranes but is not synthesized or used by humans.1 Dihydrosterculic acid is a major constituent of the
phospholipids of many trypanosomatid flagellates including some pathogenic species. 10-thiastearic acid has been found to
be a potent inhibitor of dihydrosterculic acid synthesis and has been used as a therapeutic drug against these organisms.2 The
enzyme sadenosylmethionine donates a methylene group to oleic acid in the sn-1 position of phosphatidylethanolamine to
form dihydrosterculic acid. Dihydrosterculic acid is further desaturated to sterculic acid by cyclopropane desaturase.
References:
1. G. Knothe “NMR Characterization of Dihydrosterculic Acid and Its Methyl Ester” Lipids, Vol. 41(4) pp. 393-396, 2006
2. R. Pascal, Jr, S. Mannarelli, D. Ziering “10-Thiastearic acid inhibits both dihydrosterculic acid biosynthesis and growth of the protozoan Crithidia
fasciculate” The Journal of Biological Chemistry, Vol. 261 pp. 12441-12443, 1986