[Arachidonic acid biosynthesis in the rat small intestine]

Ability of epithelium of rat small intestine mucose to synthetize arachidonic acid was studied in vivo and in vitro. Linoleic acid and 2-14C-acetate were used as precursors. The fatty acids were fractionated using thin-layer chromatography on silica gel impregnated with AgNO3. The label was incorporated into all the fractions but the highest radioactivity was found in the fraction of arachidonic acid; this suggests that the enzyme systems, carrying out the synthesis of polyenic fatty acids, occur in the mucosa of small intestine.