Metabolism of methyl elaidate*

Abstract

Methyl elaidate-l-C14 was fed to fat-deficient guinea pigs. Very little incorporation of the radioactivity was found in the glycerides or phospholipids under these conditions. Methyl ester seemed to have been absorbed without complete hydrolysis and deposited in body tissues as the methyl ester. Intestinal lipids from these animals showed the presence of unhydrolyzed free methyl esters even after a period of 4 hours. Percentage distribution of the radioactivity in the stearic acid isolated from these animals shows direct in vivo hydrogenation of elaidic acid to stearic acid.