300px, Cholesterol oleate, a member of the cholesteryl ester family Cholesteryl ester, a dietary

lipid Lipids are a broad group of naturally-occurring molecules which includes fats, waxes, sterols, fat-soluble vitamins (such as vitamins A, D, E and K), monoglycerides, diglycerides, phospholipids, and others. The functions of lipids in ...

, is an

ester In chemistry, an ester is a compound derived from an oxoacid (organic or inorganic) in which at least one hydroxyl group () is replaced by an alkoxy group (), as in the substitution reaction of a carboxylic acid and an alcohol. Glycerides ...

cholesterol Cholesterol is any of a class of certain organic molecules called lipids. It is a sterol (or modified steroid), a type of lipid. Cholesterol is biosynthesized by all animal cells and is an essential structural component of animal cell memb ...

. The ester bond is formed between the carboxylate group of a

fatty acid In chemistry, particularly in biochemistry, a fatty acid is a carboxylic acid with an aliphatic chain, which is either saturated or unsaturated. Most naturally occurring fatty acids have an unbranched chain of an even number of carbon atoms, f ...

and the

hydroxyl In chemistry, a hydroxy or hydroxyl group is a functional group with the chemical formula and composed of one oxygen atom covalently bonded to one hydrogen atom. In organic chemistry, alcohols and carboxylic acids contain one or more hydrox ...

group of

. Cholesteryl esters have a lower solubility in water due to their increased hydrophobicity. Esters are formed by replacing at least one –OH (hydroxyl) group with an –O–alkyl (alkoxy) group. They are hydrolyzed by pancreatic enzymes, cholesterol esterase, to produce cholesterol and free fatty acids. They are associated with atherosclerosis. Cholesteryl ester is found in human brains as lipid droplets which store and transport

. Increased levels of cholesteryl ester have been found in certain parts of the brain of people with Huntington disease. Higher concentrations of cholesteryl ester have been found in the caudate and putamen, but not the

cerebellum The cerebellum (Latin for "little brain") is a major feature of the hindbrain of all vertebrates. Although usually smaller than the cerebrum, in some animals such as the mormyrid fishes it may be as large as or even larger. In humans, the cerebe ...

, of people with Huntington Disease compared with levels in controls."Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute Researchers Report on Findings in Huntington Disease (Cholesteryl ester levels are elevated in the caudate and putamen of Huntington's disease patients) (Cholesteryl ester levels are elevated in ...)." ''Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week'', 2020, p. 2684. ''Gale Academic OneFile'', link.gale.com/apps/doc/A643924682/AONE?u=cuny_hunter&sid=AONE&xid=6782d457. Accessed 2 May 2021. Increase in cholesteryl ester has also been found in other neurological disorders like

multiple sclerosis Multiple (cerebral) sclerosis (MS), also known as encephalomyelitis disseminata or disseminated sclerosis, is the most common demyelinating disease, in which the insulating covers of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord are damaged. This ...

and Alzheimer’s disease.

References

Carboxylate esters Steroids {{biochemistry-stub

See also

References