Hydroxy Fatty Acids and Methyl Esters

Hydroxy fatty acids are an important class of lipids, especially in nervous system tissues. They display complex monolayer phase behaviors due to the additional hydrogen bonding afforded by the presence of the second hydroxy group and therefore play an important role in the membrane structure.¹ A deficiency in the enzymes responsible for producing hydroxy fatty acids leads to severe physiological conditions. Hydroxy fatty acids are useful as biomarkers of both diseases and bacteria.

Reference:

1. C. Lendrum et al. “Nonequilibrium 2-Hydroxyoctadecanoic Acid Monolayers: Effect of Electrolytes” Langmuir, vol. 27 pp. 4430-4438, 2011