Omega-9 fatty acid


Omega-9 fatty acids are a family of unsaturated fatty acids which have in common a final carbon–carbon double bond in the omega−9 position; that is, the ninth bond from the methyl end of the fatty acid.

Background

Some omega−9 fatty acids are common components of animal fat and vegetable oil.
Two omega−9 fatty acids important in industry are:
Unlike omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acid, omega−9 fatty acids are not classed as essential fatty acids . This is both because they can be created by the human body from unsaturated fat, and are therefore not essential in the diet, and because the lack of an omega−6 double bond keeps them from participating in the reactions that form the eicosanoids.
Under severe conditions of EFA deprivation, mammals will elongate and desaturate oleic acid to make mead acid,. This has been documented to a lesser extent in one study following vegetarians and semi-vegetarians who followed diets without substantial sources of EFA.
Common nameLipid nameChemical name
hypogeic acid16:1 -hexadec-7-enoic acid
oleic acid18:1 -octadec-9-enoic acid
elaidic acid18:1 -octadec-9-enoic acid
gondoic acid20:1 -eicos-11-enoic acid
mead acid20:3 -eicosa-5,8,11-trienoic acid
erucic acid22:1 -docos-13-enoic acid
nervonic acid24:1 -tetracos-15-enoic acid
26:1