Studies on the Whale Oil-X

Fatty Acids Composition of the Pacific Beaked Whale (Berardius bairdii) Oil (Part 4). On the Liver Lipid

Abstract

The liver lipid of the pacific beaked whale, which is taken from raw liver by extraction with hot alcohol, acetone and ether, contains 42.5% acetone insoluble matter, and has 15.46% unsaponifiable matter. This shows the presence of the remarkable amount of compound lipids in this lipid. The mixed fatty acids of this lipid are composed of 33.2% saturated acids (stearic 14.0%, palmitic 17.9%, and also myristic 1.3%) and 66.8% unsaturated acids (C₁₄ 1.2%, C₁₆ 7.4%, C₁₈ 30.1%, and C₂₀ and above 28.1%). The unsaturated fatty acids of C₁₈ and C₂₀ were separated by lithium-salt acetone method into the monoethenoid and polyethenoid acids. It was found that the C₁₈ unsaturated acids were composed of 16.49% polyethenoid (I. V. 189.3) and 83.51% monoethenoid acids. On the other hand, C₂₀ acids contained 66.37% polyethenoid acids (I. V, 287.4). The composition of fatty acids is summarized in table 6. Probably, this may be the first detailed datum on the whale liver lipid.
This liver lipid showed the considerably different fatty acid composition from the oils of headjaw, blubber and viscera of the same specimen as shown in table 7. The dominant presence of the higher saturated acids and the higer unsaturation of C₂₀, C₂₂ fatty acids were recognized as remarkable charactor of this liver lipid. Moreover, the liver lipid of this whale differs considerably from the other whale oils and the common fish oils in their fatty acid composition, and rather resembles to liver fats of herbivorous land animals.