Cyclopropene fatty acids are widely distributed in the seed
oils of many plant families of the order Malvales (1,2). Small
proportions of cyclopropene fatty acids, e.g., malvalic (cis-
8,9-methyleneheptadec-8-enoic) and sterculic (cis-9,10-
methyleneoctadec-9-enoic) acids, which are present in crude
cottonseed oil, are of special interest owing to their harmful
biological effects when fed to animals (3–7).
The presence of cyclopropene fatty acids