Description
Nervonic acid is a monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid. Nervonic acid has been identified as important in the biosynthesis of nerve cell myelin. It is found in the sphingolipids of white matter in human brain.
Nervonic acid is used in the treatment of disorders involving demyelination, such as adrenoleukodystrophy and multiple sclerosis where there is a decreased level of nervonic acid in sphingolipids.
Occurrence
Nervonic acid is abundant in King Salmon ( Chinook ) with 140 mg/100g, yellow mustard seed 83 mg/100g , flax seed 64 mg/ 100g, Sockeye salmon 40 mg/100g, sesame seed 35mg/100g, and macademia nuts 18 mg/100g.
Uses
Nervonic acid is a fatty acid. It is particularly abundant in the white matter of animal brains and in peripheral nervous tissue where nervonyl sphingolipids are enriched in the myelin sheath of nerve fibers. It is one of the major fatty acids in brain sphingolipids, normally accounting for approximately 40% of the total fatty acids in sphingolipids.
Definition
ChEBI: Nervonic Acid is a monounsaturated fatty acid with a 24-carbon backbone and the sole double bond originating from the 9th carbon from the methyl end, with this bond in the cis- configuration. It is a metabolite found in the aging mouse brain.
Preparation
Nervonic acid was shown to be identical with selachaleic acid isolated from whale oils. It is obvious that nervonic acid is probably the cis form of erucylacetic acid. Erucylacetic acid has been prepared from erucyl alcohol through the bromide and malonic ester synthesis and has been shown to be identical with nervonic acid obtained from hydrolysis of the cerebroside isolated from human brains.
Nervonic acid is also produced from oleic acid, that undergoes three consecutive chain elongation steps, catalyzed by elongases.Two carbon units are added in each step, with production of gadoleic acid, erucic acid, and finally, nervonic acid.
General Description
Nervonic acids are the products of desaturation and elongation processes of various fatty acids such as palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, etc.
Biochem/physiol Actions
Nervonic acid (C24:1), a component of membrane sphingolipids and phosphatidylethanolamines, may be a useful predictor of chronic kidney disease mortality and diabetes. Nervonic acid oils are being studied for pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and industrial applications. Nervonic acid is a major component of Lunaria oil.
Source
Sources of Nervonic acid include oil crop seeds, oil-producing microalgae and other microorganisms. Transgenic technology can also be used to improve the source and production of Nervonic acid.
