Linoleic acid and linolenic acid elongation products in muscle tissue of Sncerus caffer and other ruminant species.

The metabolic elongation products of both linoleic acid and linolenic acid were found in muscle tissues of Syncerus caffer and other ruminants. The acids with four double bonds were predominantly in the linoleic acid series, whereas the higher degrees of unsaturation, mainly five double bonds, were in the linolenic acid series. The total linoleic acid and linolenic acid groups were present in the relative proportions of about 4:1, in contrast with the fish oils, where the acids are mainly in the linolenic acid series. The consistent occurrence of members of both groups of acids in the animals studied here suggests to us that both may be important for structural purposes.