Identification of minor fatty acids and various nonmethylene-interrupted diene isomers in mantle, muscle, and viscera of the marine bivalve Megangulus zyonoensis.

To clarify the occurrence of nonmethylene-interrupted (NMI) FA in the marine bivalve Megangulus zyonoensis, methyl esters of unsaturated FA were fractionated according to the degree of their unsaturation by using argentation TLC. Their structures were elucidated by using GC-MS of their FAME and 2-alkenyl-4,4-dimethyloxazoline derivatives. Seventy-two unsaturated FA, including the novel 7,15-21 and 20:4n-1, were identified. The unusual tetraenoic acids 20:4n-4, 20:4n-1, 21:4n-6, and 21:4n-5 were found in M. zyonoensis. This bivalve was extremely rich in the positional isomers of 19:1, 20:2, and 20:3. The distribution of NMI and positional isomers of unusual FA in the bivalve tissues was also discussed.