Tetradecenoic acid/Myristoleic acid | |
Myristoleic acid (IUPAC name Tetradecenoic acid)
is a monounsaturated fatty acid with the molecular formula C14H26O2
Myristoleic acid is found in most animal depot fats from marine or terrestrial origin. It represents a major component of seed oil from Myristicaceae,
some plant species containing up to 30 per cent of this fatty acid in addition to more important amounts of myristic acid.
An isomeric form of myristoleic acid was discovered in dolphin and
whale
head oils and was proved to be the 5-tetradecenoic acid.
This uncommon (n-9) fatty acid was more recently described in the retina, acylating an NH2 terminus of a protein (recoverin) related
to signal transduction in photoreceptors. Furthermore, more recently, the presence of this fatty acid in plasma was shown to be of diagnostic
value in patients with defects of long-chain fatty acid oxidation.
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