FComEx: Hexadecanoic acid (PC000080)

Record Information

Version

1.0

Creation date

2015-10-09 22:28:02 UTC

Update date

2017-01-19 02:36:12 UTC

FoodComEx ID

PC000080

FoodDB Record

FDB011679

Chemical Information

Name

Hexadecanoic acid

Description

Palmitic acid, also known as palmitate or C16, belongs to the class of organic compounds known as long-chain fatty acids. These are fatty acids with an aliphatic tail that contains between 13 and 21 carbon atoms. Palmitic acid is a very hydrophobic molecule, practically insoluble in water and relatively neutral. Palmitic acid, or hexadecanoic acid, is one of the most common saturated fatty acids found in animals, plants, and microorganisms. As its name indicates, it is a major component of the oil from the fruit of oil palms (palm oil). In humans and other mammals, excess carbohydrates in the body are converted to palmitic acid. Palmitic acid is the first fatty acid produced during fatty acid synthesis and is the precursor to longer fatty acids. As a consequence, palmitic acid is a major lipid component of animals. In humans, one analysis found it to make up 21‚Äì30% (molar) of human depot fat (PMID: 13756126), and it is a major, but highly variable, lipid component of human breast milk (PMID: 352132). Palmitic acid has been detected, but not quantified in, several different foods, such as sea-buckthornberries, avocado, star fruits, babassu palms, and acerola. Palmitic acid is used to produce soaps, cosmetics, and industrial mould release agents. These applications use sodium palmitate, which is commonly obtained by saponification of palm oil. To this end, palm oil triglycerides, rendered from palm trees (species Elaeis guineensis), are treated with sodium hydroxide (in the form of caustic soda or lye), which causes hydrolysis of the ester groups, yielding glycerol and sodium palmitate. Aluminium salts of palmitic acid and naphthenic acid were combined during World War II to produce napalm. The word "napalm" is derived from the word‚Äôs naphthenic acid and palmitic acid. Palmitic acid is also used in the determination of water hardness and is a surfactant of Levovist, an intravenous ultrasonic contrast agent.

CAS Number

57-10-3

Structure

MOL SDF 3D-SDF PDB SMILES InChI View 3D Structure

Synonyms

Synonym	Source
1-Hexyldecanoate	biospider
1-Hexyldecanoic acid	biospider
1-Pentadecanecarboxylic acid	biospider
Aethalic acid	db_source
C16 fatty acid	biospider
C16:0	ChEBI
Cetylic acid	biospider
CH3-[CH2]14-COOH	ChEBI
Edenor C16	HMDB
Emersol 140	HMDB
Emersol 143	HMDB
FEMA 2832	db_source
Glycon P-45	HMDB
Hexadecanoate	manual
Hexadecanoate (N-C16:0)	HMDB
Hexadecanoic acid (9CI)	biospider
Hexadecanoic acid palmitic acid	HMDB
Hexadecoate	biospider
Hexadecoic acid	biospider
Hexadecylate	Generator
Hexadecylic acid	biospider
Hexaectylate	Generator
Hexaectylic acid	biospider
Hydrofol	HMDB
Hydrofol acid 1690	HMDB
Hystrene 8016	HMDB
Hystrene 9016	HMDB
Industrene 4516	HMDB
Kortacid 1698	HMDB
Loxiol ep 278	HMDB
Lunac P 95	HMDB
Lunac P 95kc	HMDB
Lunac P 98	HMDB
N-Hexadecanoate	biospider
N-Hexadecanoic acid	biospider
N-Hexadecoate	biospider
N-Hexadecoic acid	biospider
Palmitate	biospider
Palmitic acid	biospider
Palmitic acid, USAN	db_source
Palmitinate	biospider
Palmitinic acid	biospider
Palmitinsaeure	ChEBI
Palmitoate	HMDB
Palmitoic acid	HMDB
PAM	HMDB
Pentadecanecarboxylate	Generator
Pentadecanecarboxylic acid	ChEBI
PLM	HMDB
Prifac 2960	HMDB
Prifrac 2960	HMDB
Pristerene 4934	HMDB
Univol u332	HMDB

Chemical Formula

C16H32O2

IUPAC name

hexadecanoic acid

InChI Identifier

InChI=1S/C16H32O2/c1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16(17)18/h2-15H2,1H3,(H,17,18)

InChI Key

IPCSVZSSVZVIGE-UHFFFAOYSA-N

Isomeric SMILES

CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC(O)=O

Average Molecular Weight

256.4241

Monoisotopic Molecular Weight

256.240230268

Chemical Taxonomy

Description

Belongs to the class of organic compounds known as long-chain fatty acids. These are fatty acids with an aliphatic tail that contains between 13 and 21 carbon atoms.

Kingdom

Organic compounds

Super Class

Lipids and lipid-like molecules

Class

Fatty Acyls

Sub Class

Fatty acids and conjugates

Direct Parent

Long-chain fatty acids

Alternative Parents