Metabolism of 1-C 14 Octanoic and 1-C 14 Palmitic Acid by Rat Intestinal Slices. ∗

Abstract

Summary

Measurements were carried out on the in vitro metabolism of C¹⁴-octanoic and C¹⁴-palmitic acid by rat intestinal slices. Significantly more octanoic acid was catabolized to CO₂ and water soluble products and less recovered as lipid soluble products compared to when palmitic acid was the substrate. Analysis of these lipid soluble products by thin layer chromatography revealed that more of the palmitic acid was esterified to triglyceride compared to octanoic acid. Further analysis of the lipid soluble products by gas liquid chromatography demonstrated that a small but significant amount (9%) of the label from C¹⁴-octanoic acid was recovered in fatty acids with chain lengths of 10-20 carbon atoms. This suggests that some of the C¹⁴-octanoic acid may have been catabolized to C¹⁴-acetate which was then incorporated into long chain fatty acids. In contrast, virtually all of the label from C¹⁴-palmitic acid was recovered as such, indicating that very little mucosal catabolism of palmitic acid had occurred.