Fatty Acids: Natural Alicyclic Structures, Occurrence and Biochemistry

Alicyclic fatty acids occur naturally in plants, especially certain seed oils, and microorganisms, but only rarely in animal tissues, other than the prostaglandins, which are described elsewhere in these web pages, as are the plant jasmonates. Cyclopropane fatty acids are occasionally reported from marine animals, and some at least may be produced by the animals themselves, although others are probably synthesised by symbiotic bacteria. Cyclic fatty acids can also be formed as artefacts from conventional unsaturated fatty acids during food processing, and these are discussed on the frying oil pages of this website.