Preparation of branched-chain fatty acids: A mini review

Branched-chain fatty acids (BCFAs) have recently gained increasing attention as bioactive lipids with potential nutritional properties and a wide array of applications in human health. The current study reviews the most recent progress in the BCFA preparation. An overview of BCFA extraction from natural sources, including lanolin and butter, is provided. Further, we explore how clay catalysts and zeolites can be used to chemically synthesize BCFAs. The chemically synthetic BCFAs are mainly isostearic acids. Some bacterial membranes contain a high proportion of BCFAs and have been studied as natural raw materials to obtain BCFAs. Engineering the microbial production of BCFA is also reviewed. Special attentions have been given to the molecular structure of the BCFAs during different preparation methods. Future research will focus on obtaining BCFAs with specific structures in high purity.