Oxidation of 1-O-(alk-1-enyl)-2,3-di-O-acylglycerols: models for plasmalogen oxidation.

Alk-1-enyl diacyl glycerides, model compounds for plasmalogen lipids, were synthesized for use as substrates in oxidation studies. The neutral plasmalogen glycerides prepared included 1-O-(hexadec-1-enyl)-2,3-di-O-stearoylglycerol (4a) and 1-O-(hexadec-1-enyl)-2-O-linoleoyl-3-O-stearoylglycerol (4b). Oxidative disappearance of these glycerides was followed directly by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The extent of oxidation of the side chains of these glycerides, i.e. the alkenyl ether and fatty acyl functions, was monitored by conversion of the side chains to dimethylacetal and methyl ester by methanolysis, followed by subsequent gas chromatography (GC) of the methanolysis products. Both analytical approaches show that the alkenyl ether function of neat 4a oxidizes more slowly than neat ethyl linoleate. However, the rate of alkenyl ether loss from 4a is accelerated in the presence of added ethyl linoleate. Moreover, when the linoleoyl group is incorporated into the 2-position of the alkenyl glyceride, as in 4b, the rate of loss of the alkenyl group was shown to be similar to the rate of loss of the linoleoyl group. These results suggest that oxidation of plasmalogen glycerides should not be ignored as a factor that contributes to the oxidative instability of animal tissue.