Saturated fatty acids (SFAs) are long chain alkane carboxylic acids that do not possess carbon-carbon double bonds (i.e. no unsaturation). Using the conventional two-dimensional illustrations for chemical structures shown in Fig. 1, it can be seen that for every linear SFA of a given number of carbon atoms, different isomeric branched forms can arise in which the same elemental composition exists for different chemical bond connectivities. Linear SFAs have important biological and metabolic functions, and these are largely, but not exclusively, acquired through consumption of readily available foodstuffs that are rich in these saturated 'fats', including dairy, meats, oils, seeds, and plants.
Branched chain saturated fatty acids (BCFAs) can be classified according to the type, number, and position of the branch. As shown in Fig. 1, mono-methyl derivatives of BCFAs are a class in which two isomeric forms predominate as an iso and an anteiso series comprised of even- or odd-carbon numbers ranging from C8 to C24. BCFAs are present in particularly large quantities in various bacterial genera where they contribute to membrane function. In humans, BCSFs have been detected in several tissues, including skin, Vernix caseosa, breast milk, hair, brain and blood. Although humans produce only trace amounts of BCSFs internally, these fatty acids appear to serve several key health-related functions, including establishment of a healthy gut microbiome in the womb. Indeed, growing scientific evidence is providing a link between the devastating occurrence of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) for premature babies with insufficient prenatal exposure to BCFAs. Importantly, infant formula does not contain any significant amounts of BCFAs as a dietary supplement. There have also been beneficial effects reported for the anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties of BCFAs, and low blood serum levels of these fatty acids have been tied to various health conditions, such increased occurrence of diabetes and obesity. Indeed, 13-methyltetradecanoic acid (13-MTD) (see Fig. 1), which is a product of soy fermentation, has shown to have excellent in vitro anticancer activity by inducing selective apoptosis of a broad range of human cancer cells, and in vivo for tumor reduction in a rat model. For further information, please read the cited references that can be found here.
Historically, BCFAs have only been accessible as components of a complex mixture of fatty acids obtained from dietary sources. Unlike their linear counterparts, however, these natural sources are limited almost exclusively to the dairy and meat products of ruminants (e.g. cows, sheep, goats, yaks, etc.), several bacteria (e.g. bacillus subtilis), and fermented soy products (e.g. traditional Japanese natto). And in contrast to the essential unsaturated omega-3 fatty acids, DHA and EPA, that can be obtained from fish oil and algae, there is no natural source of BCFAs that can provide the required volumes needed for nutritional supplements. A few companies offer small research quantities (e.g. 10 mg to 250 mg) of isomerically-pure, single BCFAs that have been obtained through laborious and expensive multi-step chemical synthesis. As a critical example, the current price for isomerically-pure 13-MTD (see Fig. 1) is $4,250 (USD) per gram, or $120,000 (USD) per ounce, which is 67 times more expensive than gold. An industrial process is also known that produces what it labeled as iso-palmitic acid (C16) and iso-stearic acid (C18), however, these materials actually exist as an inseparable complex mixture of isomers.
Fig. 1. Examples of odd- and even-carbon numbered linear (top) and mono-methyl BCFAs (bottom)
There is no question that past efforts to develop supplements, nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and medical diagnostic imaging agents that are based on isomerically-pure BCFAs have been thwarted by the absence of a reliable and long-term sustainable source of these fatty acids, which are increasingly appearing to be essential for good human health. Vernix Health (VH) is now commercializing an inexpensive and scalable proprietary process that can offer a large catalog of different individual BCFAs at a fraction of the current cost in kiloton quantities. This new affordable access to large quantities of either naturally-occurring or new structural 'designer' derivatives of BCFAs can provide the critical support needed for the development and commercialization of new products and formulations that are based on BCSFAs for the advancement of human health, such as for dietary supplements, nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, vaccine and drug delivery, and medical contrast imaging agents for CAT, MRI, and PET imaging of organs and disease conditions, to name a few.
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