Biosynthesis of triacylglycerols in the intestines of rainbow trout (Salmo gairdnerii) fed marine zooplankton rich in wax esters.

Intestinal preparations from rainbow trout fed a diet rich in wax esters incorporated [1(-14)C]hexadecanoic acid and [1(-14)C]hexadecanol into triacylglycerols at the same rate. The ratio of the number of H atoms from C1 of hexadecanol to the number of molecules of hexadecanol incorporated into triacylglycerols was 1.6 : 3.0. [U-14C]Glucose was incorporated much faster into the glycerol moiety of triacylglycerols than was [U-14C]aspartic acid. We conclude that the oxidation of absorbed fatty alcohol to fatty acid and its subsequent incorporation into triacylglycerols is closely linked with the reductive formation of triacylglycerol-glycerol from glucose. The ability of trout intestines to metabolise fatty alcohol to triacylglycerols was the same in fish fed wax esters as in those fed triacylglycerols.