Occurrence of high levels of tetracosahexaenoic acid in the jellyfish Aurelia sp

Lipids. 2003 Nov;38(11):1207-10. doi: 10.1007/s11745-003-1180-z.

Abstract

The FA composition of the pelagic jellyfish Aurelia sp. collected from off-shore Western Australia waters was determined by capillary GC and GC-MS, with confirmation of PUFA structure performed by analysis of 4,4-dimethyloxazoline derivatives. PUFA constituted 47.6% of the total FA, with the essential PUFA eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), arachidonic acid, and DHA accounting for 34%. Of particular interest, the unusual very long chain PUFA 6,9,12,15,18,21-tetracosahexaenoic acid (THA, 24:6n-3) was present at 9.3%, and the rarely reported 6,9,12,15,18-tetracosapentaenoic acid (24:5n-6) also was detected at 0.8%. To our knowledge, this represents the first report of THA as a major PUFA in a pelagic marine organism.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Chromatography, Gas
  • Docosahexaenoic Acids / chemistry
  • Docosahexaenoic Acids / metabolism*
  • Oxazoles / chemistry
  • Scyphozoa / metabolism*
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization

Substances

  • Oxazoles
  • Docosahexaenoic Acids
  • 4,4-dimethyloxazoline
  • tetracosahexaenoic acid