Neutral lipids, their fatty acids, and the sterols of the marine ciliated protozoon, Parauronema acutum

The neutral lipids and their fatty acids and the sterol fractions of the ma rine ciliated protozoon, Parauronema acutum, were characterized. The neutra l lipids consisted of triglycerides (30%), sterols (29%), free Fatty acids (24%), steryl esters (9%), and diglycerides (8%) and small amounts of fatty alcohols. The fatty acid profiles of these lipids were very similar althou gh quantitative differences were detected. Saturated fatty acids, primarily 14:0. 16:0, and 18:0 constituted 20-30% of the total. Unsaturated fatty ac ids containing one to three double bunds, primarily 18:1 (9), 18:2 (9,12), 18:3 (9, 12, 15) and 20:3 (11, 14, 17), constituted 35-50% of the total. Hi ghly unsaturated fatty acids, 18:4 (6, 9, 12, 15), 20:5 (5, 8, 11, 14, 17) and 11:6 (4, 7, 10, 16, 19), constituted 16-25% of the total. The fatty alc ohols consisted of 14:0 (2%), 16:0 (66%), 18:0 (3%), 20:0 (8%), and 22:0 (2 1%). The sterols of Parauronema ocutum consisted of cholesterol (53%), camp esterol (32%), desmosterol (7%), and beta-sitosterol (8%).