ABSTRACT
This table gives the names and selected properties of some important fatty acids and their methyl esters. It includes most of the acids that are significant constituents of naturally occurring oils and fats. Compounds are listed first by number of carbon atoms and, secondly, by the degree of unsaturation. Both the systematic name and the common or trivial name are given, as well as the Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Number and the shorthand acid code that is frequently used. The first number in this code gives the number of carbon atoms; the number following the colon is the number of unsaturated centers (mainly double bonds). The location and orientation of the unsaturated centers follow. The symbols used are: c = cis; t = trans; a = acetylenic center; e = ethylenic center at end of chain; ep = epoxy. Thus 9c,11t indicates a double bond with cis orientation at the No. 9 carbon and another with trans orientation at the No. 11 carbon. More details on the codes can be found in Reference 1.
