DISTRIBUTION OF ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS 



82; 



8. Distribution of Essential Fatty Acids 



{1) Distribution in Foods 



a. Introduction. The most concentrated sources of the EFA are the 

 vegetable fats. Linoleic acid is the chief representative of this group, 



Table 1 



The Relative Maximum Amounts of Essential Fatty Acids in Vegetable Fats, 



AS Determined by Analysis and by Bioassay" 



" Unless otherwise noted, data are from the summary of H. J. Deuel, Jr., A'utritional 

 Significance of the Fats, Progress in the Chemistry of Fats and Other Lipids, 2, 99-192 

 (1954), and from H. J. Deuel, Jr., The Role of Fat in Human Nutrition, in A. E. Bailey, 

 Cottonseed and Cottonseed Products, Interscience, New York and London, 1948, 763-811. 

 Dashes indicate that no data are available. 



'' Unless otherwise noted, data are from H. J. Thomasson, Intern. Z. Vitaminforsch., 25, 

 63-82 (1953). Bioassay values of essential fatty acids are e.xpressed in units (1 Unit = 

 activity of 10 mg. linoleic acid), which are practically identical with % composition. 



' Data from H. J. Deuel, Jr., The Lipids, L Chemistry. Interscience, New York 

 and London, 1951. 



'^ Data are from H. J. Deuel, Jr., S. M. Greenberg, L. Anisfeld, and D. Melnick, /. 

 Xutrition, 45, 535-550 (1951). Essential fatty acids are e.xpressed in % as linoleic acid. 



' Employed as a standard based upon analytical values obtained spectrophoto- 

 metricall}\ 



