The 2-hydroxy fatty acids in white matter of infant and adult brains

White matter from five adult and five infant brains was analyzed for total fatty acids, galactolipids, and 2-hydroxy fatty acids. The distribution of 2-hydroxy fatty acids was determined quantitatively for each sample by gas–liquid chromatography of their methyl esters without masking their hydroxyl groups.The galactolipid values in a case of multiple sclerosis and in the temporal areas of two other cases were about 25% lower than that reported for normal brains by other authors, but the content and composition of the 2-hydroxy fatty acids did not correlate with galactolipid contents and were similar for all adult samples.The total fatty acid, galactolipid, and 2-hydroxy fatty acid concentrations in the infant brains were small compared with those of adults. The composition of the 2-hydroxy fatty acids was also different.