A new Δ7-polyunsaturated fatty acid in Taxus spp. seed lipids, dihomotaxoleic (7,11-20:2) acid

A previously undescribed fatty acid, all-cis 7,11-20:2 (dihomotaxoleic acid, DHT), has been characterized by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry as being present (approximately 0.1%) in seed oils of two Taxaceae containing high levels (11-16%) of taxoleic acid (all-cis 5,9-18:2). This compound was absent from oils of 10 other conifer genera, as well as from one member of Taxaceae containing very low amounts of taxoleic acid, suggesting that DHT is a taxoleic acid elongation product.