Mass spectral identification of 2-(O-acyl)hydroxy fatty acid esters in the white portion of the rabbit harderian gland

A major lipid component of white portion of the rabbit harderian gland has been shown to be a mixture of 2-( O -acyl)hydroxy fatty acid esters. The fatty acid moieties in this lipid class are exclusively saturated and range in chain length from C 14:0 to C 22:0 , with C 16:0 being the major component (65%). The fatty alcohols are also saturated and composed primarily of C 20:0 , C 21:0 , and C 22:0 chains. The hydroxy fatty acids are composed of C 14:0 , C 15:0 , and C 16:0 and mass spectroscopy combined with chemical techniques placed the hydroxyl group at the 2-carbon. 2-( O -acyl)Hydroxy fatty acid esters are not found in the pink portion of the rabbit harderian gland nor have they have been reported to occur in harderian glands of other species.