The di- and triesters of the lipids of steer and human meibomian glands.

Three groups of diesters have been isolated and identified in the lipids of steer meibomian glands. The first group, designated as alpha Type I, with the abbreviated formula FA-alpha OHFA-FAlc, consisted of alpha-hydroxy fatty acids esterified to fatty acids and fatty alcohols in the approximate molar ratio 1:1:1. The second group, designated as omega Type I-St, with the abbreviated formula FA-omega OHFA-St, consisted of omega-hydroxy fatty acids esterified to fatty acids and sterols in the approximate molar ratio 1:1:1. The third group, designated as alpha, omega Type II, with the abbreviated formula FA-alpha, omega diol-FA, consisted of alpha, omega-diols esterified to 2 moles of fatty acids. The sum of the different diesters comprised about 9% of total steer meibomian lipids. Capillary GLC of the fatty acids of alpha Type I diesters showed the fatty acids to be a family with a two-cluster profile, one at C12 to C20 and the other at C21 to C31, with anteiso chains predominating. Fatty acids from omega Type I-St and alpha, omega Type II diesters gave mainly a one-cluster profile in the short chain region with prominent anteiso and C18:1 peaks. Fatty alcohols of alpha Type I diesters were mainly long chain, C23 to C30, with anteiso chains predominating, while the alpha-hydroxy fatty acids were short chain C13 to C18 acids with C16 predominating. The sterols in diesters omega Type I-St were cholesterol (approximately 60%), delta 7 cholestenol (approximately 35%) and an unidentified compound (approximately 5%) with a GLC retention time slightly longer than delta 7 cholestenol on SE-30 phase. The omega-hydroxy fatty acids and alpha, omega-diols both were of exceedingly long chain lengths, C29-C38, and showed similar GLC profiles. Two types of triesters comprising approximately 1% of total steer meibomian lipids have been isolated but incompletely characterized. In terms of molar ratios, one group of triesters gave fatty acids:omega-hydroxy fatty acids:alpha-hydroxy fatty acids:sterols + fatty alcohols as approximately 1:1:1:1. The other contained fatty acids, alpha-hydroxy fatty acids and alpha, omega-diols in what appears to be a complex mixture of several triesters. Diesters omega Type I and alpha, omega Type II also were found in human meibum. Hitherto these two diesters have not been found in any animal tissue.