Preparation and physiological properties of alkyl esters of 2,3-dihydroxypropionic acid.

In order to investigate the physiological behavior of alkyl esters of 2,3-dihydroxypropionic acid two such compounds have been synthesized. One of them, the 1-dodecylester of 2,3-ditetradecyloxypropionic acid was subjected to digestion by pancreatic lipase. The substance remained unaffected. For an in vivo experiment a doubly labelled homolog, the [1'-14C]decyl ester of 2,3-di[1'-3H]hexadecyloxypropionic acid was synthesized. This compound was fed by stomach tube to three groups of male albino rats. The experimental animals were killed after 2,4 and 6 h, those of the control groups after 6 h. Blood, urine, small intestines and livers were examined for radioactivity. From the recovery rates it could be derived that the molecule had been metabolized and absorbed. Obviously, the alkyl chain labelled with 14C was split off first and the alkyl chains labelled with 3H were split off thereafter. As the substance is metabolized in vivo it cannot be utilized as a 'non-fattening fat'.