Cyclopropane fatty acid
class of chemical compounds
Cyclopropane fatty acids (CPA) are a subgroup of fatty acids that contain a cyclopropane group. Although they are usually rare, the seed oil from lychee contains nearly 40% CPAs in the form of triglycerides.
Biosynthesis
CPAs are derived from unsaturated fatty acids by cyclopropanation. The methylene donor is a methyl group on S-adenosylmethionine (SAM). The conversion is catalyzed by cyclopropane-fatty-acyl-phospholipid synthase. The mechanism is proposed to involve transfer of a CH3+ group from SAM to the alkene, followed by deprotonation of the newly attached methyl group and ring closure.
Cyclopropene fatty acids
Cyclopropene fatty acids are even rarer molecules. The best-known examples of fatty acids containing cyclopropene rings are malvalic acid and sterculic acid. A triglyceride made of 3 sterculic acid molecules esterified with glycerol is present in Sterculia foetida seed oil (in amounts greater than 60%) and at low levels in the seed oil of other species of Malvaceae (~12%), cottonseed oil (~1%). The cyclopropene ring is destroyed during refining and hydrogenation of the oils.
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