Ethanol can also undergo non-oxidative metabolism in the brain (153). Two forms of fatty acid ethyl ester synthetase were found in at least 10 different regions of the human brain, with higher activity observed in gray matter compared to white matter. Studies by Laposata et al. (153) confirmed that these enzymes are active at concentrations of ethanol that are typically reached after social drinking. Additionally, post-mortem brain tissue studies have shown that FAEEs are present in the brains of individuals who were acutely intoxicated at the time of death but not in those who were sober (153). These findings suggest that non-oxidative ethanol metabolism in the brain may contribute to the biochemical effects of alcohol and could have implications for understanding alcohol-related neurotoxicity (107). Further research is needed to explore these mechanisms.
