Fatty acid synthesis in camel ( Camelus dromedarius) hump and sheep ( Ovis aries) tail fat

Abstract

1. 1. Fatty acid synthesis was studied in camel hump and sheep tail fat, utilizing tissue slices in the presence of labelled compounds including acetate, propionate, pyruvate, butyrate, 3-hydroxybutyrate, glucose and palmitate. In addition, the oxidation rates of these substances to CO 2 were also measured. 2. 2. In both species, oxidation rates in a decreasing order were: pyruvate, acetate, glucose, butyrate, 3-hydroxybutyrate, propionate and palmitate. In general, tail fat was more active than hump in this respect. 3. 3. In both species, acetate was incorporated into fatty acids at a greater rate than glucose. Tail fat utilized more 3-hydroxybutyrate than hump; the reverse case was true for butyrate.