Composition of<i>O</i>‐alkyl and<i>O</i>‐alk‐1‐enyl moieties in the glycerolipids of the human adrenal

Abstract

Abstract A comparison of human adult and fetal adrenals with respect to their levels of glyceryl ether lipids and other lipid components is reported. Fetal glands contained significantly lower levels of alk‐1‐enyl phosphoglycerides and of cholesterol. Neutral glyceryl ether diesters, and ethanolamine and choline phosphoglycerides were isolated from adult adrenal tissue. The composition of the O ‐alkyl glycerol groups in these lipid fractions was obtained by means of gas chromatography of the trimethylsilyl ethers and diacetyl derivatives; O ‐alk‐1‐enyl glycerols were analyzed as their diacetates. About one‐half of the alkyl and alk‐1‐enyl glycerol moieties present in glyceryl ether diesters contained hydrocarbon side chains with 20, 22, or 24 carbon atoms. Long hydrocarbon chains (C 19–24 ) were also found in the O ‐alkyl glycerol moieties present in the total lipids of fetal adrenals.