A detailed structural diversity of dienoic fatty acids (FA), including non-methylene-interrupted dienoic FA, of triacylglycerols and polar lipids in ovaries of Cellana toreuma was clarified for the first time by using capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry of their 3-pyridylcarbinol esters and argentation thin-layer chromatography. Interestingly, in addition to 5,9-octadecadienoic (18:2Δ5,9), 5,9-eicosadienoic (20:2Δ5,9), 5,9-heneicosadienoic (21:2Δ5,9), 5,9-docosadienoic (22:2Δ5,9), 5,9-tricosadienoic (23:2Δ5,9), and 5,9-tetracosadienoic (24:2Δ5,9) acids, previously identified in ovaries of C. grata, rare FA 5,9-hexadecadienoic (16:2Δ5,9), 5,9-nonadecadienoic (19:2Δ5,9), and 21-methyl-5,9-docosadienoic (iso 23:2Δ5,9) were newly recognized in ovaries of C. toreuma. Detectable amounts of four Δ9,15-dienoic FA were present in the ovary lipids. The FA identified were one novel 9,15-heneicosadienoic (21:2Δ9,15) acid and known 9,15-docosadienoic (22:2Δ9,15), 9,15-tricosadienoic (23:2Δ9,15), and 9,15-tetracosadienoic (24:2Δ9,15) acids. The findings help to explain the broad evidence of the structural diversity in marine gastropods and suggest biomarkers to evaluate marine food web relations.
Keywords: Archaeogastropods; Limpet; Non-methylene-interrupted fatty acid; Ovary; Δ5,9-Dienoic fatty acid; Δ9,15-Dienoic fatty acid.