Synthesis of enantiomeric mixed‐acid phosphatides

Abstract

Abstract The synthesis is described of two optically pure L‐α‐lecithins and of one D‐α‐lecithin, each containing one saturated and one unsaturated fatty acid, and of two enantiomeric α‐lecithins composed of two saturated fatty acids of unequal chain length. A modification of the procedure allowed the preparation of two structurally isomeric mixed‐acid L‐α‐phosphatidyl‐ethanolamines. The suitability of the synthetic phosphatides as substrates for biochemical model studies is demonstrated by experiments with snake‐venom phosphatidase.