Application Notes:
cis-11-Octadecenoic acid (cis-vaccenic acid) is an eighteen-carbon monounsaturated fatty acid that is a major fatty acid in
bacteria, including intestinal bacteria, and usually a minor component in plant and animal tissues.1 However, some plants
have a much higher concentration of cis-vaccenic acid than others.2 It is a positional isomer of oleic acid which is much more
abundant in plants and animals. It is commonly used as a bacterial biomarker. Although lower growth temperatures generally
cause microorganisms to produce more unsaturated fatty acids, a mutant Escherichia coli was found to overproduce cisvaccenic
acid even at elevated temperatures.3
References:
1. P. W. Holloway and
Salih J. Wakil "Synthesis of Fatty Acids in Animal Tissues: II. THE OCCURRENCE AND BIOSYNTHESIS OF CIS-VACCENIC ACID”
Journal of Biological Chemistry, Vol. 239 pp. 2489-2495, 1964
2. Akira Shibahara et al. “cis-Vaccenic acid in mango pulp lipids” Lipids, Vol. 21:6 pp. 388-394, 1986
3. D. Mendoza, J. Garwin, J. Cronan, “Overproduction of cis-Vaccenic Acid and Altered Temperature Control of Fatty Acid Synthesis in a Mutant of
Escherichia coli” Journal of Bacteriology, Vol. 151:3 pp. 1608-1611, 1986