258 IV. DIGESTION OF LIPIDS OTHER THAN FATS 



eryl ethers. The alcohol, "astrol," originally prepared by Kossel and 

 Edlbacher 46 in 1915 from stellasterol, has recently been proved to be batyl 

 alcohol. 47 Batyl alcohol was first recognized in fish liver oils. 41-44 

 However, later workers have reported its presence in such widely diverse 

 sources as the Japanese crab (Paralithoides camtschatica Tilesius), 48 a reef- 

 building gorgonia (coral) (Plexaura flexuosa), 49 the star fish (Asterias ru- 

 bens and A. forbesi),* 7 the bone marrow of cattle, 50 the spleen of the pig, 51 

 and arteriosclerotic arteries of man. 52 



Calbert and associates 27 investigated the utilization of stearyl alcohol in 

 rats, as well as of an ester, distearyl citrate, in rats and dogs. When stearyl 

 alcohol was fed to rats at a level of 1.8% of the diet, a coefficient of digesti- 

 bility of 88.6 was obtained ; when this alcohol made up 7.5% of the diet, the 

 digestibility coefficient was found to be 54.8.* In both cases, the diges- 

 tibility of the fat given concomitantly was somewhat reduced, the values 

 being 91.9 and 80.0%, respectively. A discussion of the digestibility 

 tests with distearyl citrate is given earlier (see page 253). 



(3) Oleyl Alcohol 



Oleyl alcohol, CH 3 (CH 2 ) 7 CH:CH(CH 2 ) 7 CH 2 OH has been shown by 

 Channon and Collinson 40 to be readily absorbed in the rat. Evidence for 

 this fact is based, not only upon the disappearance of the alcohol from the 

 gastrointestinal tract, but also upon the appearance of an appreciable 

 unsaponinable fraction in the liver fat. Oleyl alcohol is known to be a com- 

 ponent of selachyl alcohol, which is a glyceryl ether widely distributed in 

 fish liver oils. 41-44 Oleyl alcohol also occurs free in fish liver oils, 42 - 46 as 

 well as in Arctic sperm oil. 53,54 



(4) Other Alcohols 



Phytol, CH 3 [CH(CH3)(CH 2 ) 3 ]3C(CH 3 ):CHCH 2 OH, has been shown 

 to be readily absorbed by the rat. 40 The absorption was confirmed by the 



46 A. Kossel and S. Edlbacher, Z. physiol. Chem., 94, 264-283 (1915). 



47 W. Bergmann and H. A. Stansbury, J. Org. Chem., 8, 283-284 (1943). 



48 M. Tsujimoto, J. Soc. Chem. Ind. Japan, 32, 363-364 B(1929); Chem. Abst., 24, 

 4650(1930). 



49 C. A. Kind and W. Bergmann, J. Org. Chem., 7, 424-427 (1942). 



60 H. N. Holmes, R. E. Corbet, W. B. Geiger, N. Kornblum, and W. Alexander, J. 

 Am. Chem. Soc, 63, 2607-2609 (1941). 



81 V. Prelog, L. Ruzicka, and P. Stein, Helv. Chim. Acta, 26, 2222-2242 (1943). 



62 E. Hardegger, L. Ruzicka, andE. Tagmann, Helv. Chim. Acta, 26, 2205-2221 (1943). 



53 M. Tsujimoto, Chem. Umschau Gebiete Fette, die, Wachse u. Harze, 32, 127-128 

 (1925): Chem. Abst., 19, 2882 (1925). 



54 T. P. Hilditcb and J. A. Lovern, ./. Soc. Chem. Ind., 48, 359-364T (1929). 



