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In Vitro Conversion of Long-Chain Fatty Acids to Ketones by Bovine Rumen Mucosa¹

Department of Animal Science, Iowa State University, Ames

ABSTRACT

The rate of conversion of lauric, myristic, palmitic, stearic, oleic, and linoleic acids to ketone bodies by rumen mucosal tissue from five normal and five fasted nonpregnant, nonlactating Holstein heifers was studied in vitro. Endogenous formation of ketone bodies occurred in tissue from both groups of animals. The net rate of ketone formation in the presence of exogenous longchain fatty acids was significantly faster (P < 0.01) in tissue from fasted animals than from control animals, but the extent of conversion of the exogenous substrates to ketones was of small magnitude in tissue from both groups. The fatty acids containing 12, 14, and 16 carbon atoms tended to be more ketogenic than the 18 carbon acids. Results of two additional in vitro incubation experiments, in which ¹⁴C-labeled palmitic and oleic acids were used as substrates, conclusively showed that ketones were derived directly from the long-chain fatty acids.

¹ Journal Paper no. J-5706 of the Iowa Agricultural and Home Economics Experiment Station, Ames, Iowa. Project no. 1324. Supported in part by funds provided by Grant HE-04969, Department of Health, Education and Welfare.

² Present address: Department of Biochemistry, College of Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota.