Fatty Acids in the Tooth Lipids of 16 Animal Species

¹ Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139

Lipids and fatty acids were extracted from the teeth of 16 animal species and were characterized by thin-layer and gas-liquid chromatography. The types of lipids and fatty acids in the various teeth were similar, but the amounts were different. The major lipids were glycerides, cholesterol, cholesterol esters, and phospholipids; the major fatty acids were palmitic, stearic, and oleic acids. Trace amounts of many other lipids and fatty acids were present.