NCJ Number
146934
Journal
Japanese Journal of Legal Medicine Volume: 47 Issue: 6 Dated: (December 1993) Pages: 435-444
Date Published
1993
Length
10 pages
Annotation
With respect to postmortem changes and associated biological reactions, some fatty acids with relatively high melting points played an important role in the formation of adipocere.
Abstract
These fatty acids were mainly 10-hydroxystearic acid and 10-hydroxypalmitic acid. Moreover, slight amounts of 10- oxostearic and 10-oxopalmitic acids, which had higher melting points than those of hydroxy fatty acids, existed in adipocere as well. Substantial adipocere was formed and stabilized by these specific fatty acids, together with soap. Hydroxy fatty acid (OHFA) and oxo-fatty acid (OXOFA) were biosynthesized by some enzymes from bacteria, and various aerobic and anaerobic bacteria were involved in the formation of adipocere. For example, 10-OHFA was synthesized only from fatty acids possessing cis-9-unsaturation; 10- OHFA's were converted to corresponding 10-OXOFA's, but 10- oxo compounds were inactive as substrates. Further, enzyme preparations from Flavobacterium meningosepticum solubilized by sonication catalyzed not only hydration of oleic acid to produce 10-hydroxystearic acid but also dehydrogenation of this product in the presence of deuterium. On the other hand, researchers found that 10-hydroxy-12-octadecenoic acid (10-OHLA) from linoleic acid existed in some kinds of adipocere. It was also clarified that polymorphonuclear leukocytes produced the same 10-OHLA as the compound found in adipocere, suggesting that the metabolism of this compound was closely related to a biological reaction. 22 references, 3 tables, and 10 figures