Mass spectral identification of 2-(O-acyl)hydroxy fatty acid esters in the white portion of the rabbit Harderian gland.

A major lipid component of white portion of the rabbit harderian gland has been shown to be a mixture of 2-(O-acyl)hydroxy fatty acid esters. The fatty acid moieties in this lipid class are exclusively saturated and range in chain length from C14:0 to C22:0, with C16:0 being the major component (65%). The fatty alcohols are also saturated and composed primarily of C20:0, C21:0, and C22:0 chains. The hydroxy fatty acids are composed of C14:0, C15:0, and C16:0 and mass spectroscopy combined with chemical techniques placed the hydroxyl group at the 2-carbon. 2-(O-acyl)Hydroxy fatty acid esters are not found in the pink portion of the rabbit harderian gland nor have they been reported to occur in harderian glands or other species.