Omega-7 fatty acid
Types of fats in food |
---|
Components |
Manufactured fats |
Omega-7 fatty acids are a class of
Rich sources include
The monounsaturated omega-7 fatty acids have the general chemical structure CH3-(CH2)5-CH=CH-(CH2)n-CO2H.
Common name | Lipid name | Chemical name |
---|---|---|
none | 12:1 (n−7) | 5-Dodecenoic acid |
none | 14:1 (n−7) | 7-Tetradecenoic acid |
Palmitoleic acid | 16:1 (n−7) | 9-Hexadecenoic acid |
Vaccenic acid | 18:1 (n−7) | 11-Octadecenoic acid |
Rumenic acid | 18:2 (n−7) | Octadeca-9,11-dienoic acid |
Paullinic acid | 20:1 (n−7) | 13-Eicosenoic acid |
none | 22:1 (n−7) | 15-Docosenoic acid |
none | 24:1 (n−7) | 17-Tetracosenoic acid |
Metabolism
16- and 18-carbon omega-7 unsaturated fatty acids are known to be converted into 18- or 20-carbon highly unsaturated fatty acids in the body by nonselective
Research
This section needs more primary sources. (June 2019) |
Diabetes
Omega-7 fatty acids, especially palmitoleic acid, have been shown in vitro to decrease glucose-sensitive apoptosis in beta cells in the pancreas, a condition associated with diabetes.[5][6] In adult organisms, new beta cells are most commonly the result of replication rather than from direct stem cell differentiation, meaning that preventing apoptosis of beta cells is crucial for maintaining a stable population of beta cells. The cytoprotective effect of omega-7 fatty acids makes them a candidate for diabetes treatment.[5]
Production
In cows
Dairy products are one of the primary sources of dietary omega-7 fatty acids. However, the production of omega-7 fatty acids in cows is heavily diet-dependent.[7] Specifically, a reduction in the proportion of herbage consumed by a cow is correlated with a significant decrease in the omega-7 fatty acid content of the cow's milk. Rumenic and vaccenic acid concentrations declined significantly within one week of removing herbage from the cow's diet, suggesting that modern dairy farming methods may lead to decreases in beneficial fatty acid content of dairy products.[7]
Algal extraction
Traditional sources of omega-7 fatty acids such as macadamia nuts have proved expensive on the industrial scale, prompting the discovery of new omega-7 rich sources such as algae. Alterations to algal growing conditions such as carbon dioxide or dipotassium phosphate enrichment have been shown to potential bias algal biosynthesis towards lipids.[8] Up to 90% of their dry weight may be harvested as lipids. In this process, raw algae is dewatered to yield algal oil. Algal oil gets degummed, typically via washing with acid, to removing polar lipids and metals. Degummed algal oil is then transesterified and purified to yield a mixture of omega-7 esters and eicosapentaenoic acids, which can be hydrodeoxygenated to form algae jet fuel and algae green diesel, respectively. These products are then crystallized and separated to yield the desired omega-7 fatty acid [citation needed].
See also
References
- S2CID 22892828.
- PMID 15653508.
- ^ Duke, James A. (1992). Handbook of phytochemical constituents of GRAS herbs and other economic plants. Boca Raton, Florida.: CRC Press.
- ^ S2CID 24182617.
- ^ PMID 20206490.
- PMID 29565831.
- ^ OCLC 1019033379.
- ^ US Patent 9200236B2, Shinde, Sandip & Kale, "Omega 7 rich compositions and methods of isolating omega 7 fatty acids", published 2015-12-01, assigned to Heliae Dev LLC.