Mild alkali-stable phospholipids in chicken egg yolks: characterization of 1-alkenyl and 1-alkyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine, sphingomyelin, and 1-alkyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine.

Chicken egg yolk phospholipids were subjected to mild alkaline hydrolysis. The resulting alkali-stable phospholipids were characterized by chemical chromatographic, and enzymatic methods. Two major phospholipids, 1 - O - alkyl - sn - glycero - 3 - pohosphoethanolamine and sphingomyelin; and two minor phospholipids, 1-O-alkenyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine and 1-O-alkyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine; were identified. The sphingomyelins were converted into ceramides by enzymatic hydrolysis with phospholipase C. Ceramides derived from sphingomyelins with non-hydroxy fatty acids (99% of total ceramides) consisted predominantly of the N-palmitoyl, N-stearoyl, and N-nervonyl species. Ceramides derived from sphingomyelins with hydroxy fatty acids (1% of total ceramides) consisted almost exclusively of the N-alpha-hydroxyeicosanoyl species. The long chain bases of ceramides derived from both species of sphingomyelins (hydroxy and non-hydroxy fatty acids) consisted of 97% D-erythro-sphing-4-enine and 3% D-erythro-sphinganine, 1-O-alkyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine and 1-O-alkyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine were converted to corresponding 1-O-alkyldiacetylglycerols. The 1-O-alkyldiacetylglycerols derived from both ether phospholipids consisted largely of the hexadecyl and octadecyl species. Smaller quantities of the heptadecyl, cis-9-octadecenyl and eicosanyl derivatives were also present.