Unsaponifiable lipids of Taenia taeniaeformis and Moniezia sp.

Abstract

The experiments presented above show that in Taenia taeniaeformis and in Moniezia sp. cholesterol is by far the most prevalent unsaponifiable substance. In the former tapeworm it amounted to at least 98% of total unsaponifiable material, in the latter to approximately 85%. The fact that a search for friedelin in Taenia taeniaeformis was negative strengthens the assumption by Cmelik and Bartl, 1956 that the friedelin found in Taenia saginata did originate from cork stoppers. Our finding of 7-ketocholesterol in the Moniezia sample requires a comment. It is known that hot alkaline saponification of 7-ketocholesterol ester produces cholesta-3, 5-diene-7-one. 3 3 We refluxed a mixture of 7-ketocholesterol and 2% methanolic potassium hydroxide solution for one hour, i.e., under considerably milder conditions than employed by us in the saponification of the acetone soluble lipids and isolated predominantly cholesta-3,5-diene-7-one. Milburn et al., 1956 Mauthner and Suida, 1896. Since the latter compound was not present in our sample, it may be concluded that the 7-ketocholesterol was not originally present, but was formed during isolation and storage of the unsaponifiable material 4 4 Fieser et al. 1957 have isolated 7-ketocholesterol from aged and air-oxidized cholesterol. from the Moniezia sp. No trace of 7-ketocholesterol could be isolated from the unsaponifiable material of the Taenia taeniaeformis.