A quantitative study of the oxidation of phenyl-fatty acids in the animal organism

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Abstract
Normal phenylpropionic, phenylbutyric, phenylvaleric and phenylcaproic acids administered to dogs yield amounts of benzoic and phenylacetic acid, as the case maybe, which indicate that the fatty acid side chain is oxidized quantitatively in accordance with the theory of [beta]-oxidation. Under the same conditions, phenyl-nonoic and phenyldecoic acids yield smaller amounts of benzoic and phenylacetic acid respectively than would be expected if quantitative beta-oxidation of the side chain takes place. This suggests that some other mode of oxidation as yet unknown, in addition to B-oxidation, takes place with phenyl-fatty acids containing side chains approaching in length those of the higher fatty acids. Cinnamic and phenyl-iso-crotonic acids yield the same amounts of benzoic and phenylacetic acid respectively as the corresponding saturated acids.