Palmitic Acid

Palmitic acid, or hexadecanoic acid in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IUPAC_nomenclature" title="IUPAC nomenclature" class="mw-redirect" >IUPAC nomenclature</a>, is the most common <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatty_acid" title="Fatty acid" >fatty acid</a> found in animals, plants and microorganisms<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palmitic_acid#cite_note-lipidhb-3" >[4]</a>.

It is a major component of the oil from palm trees (palm oil, palm kernel oil and coconut oil). However, palmitic acid can also be found in meats, cheeses, butter, and dairy products.

Its molecular formula is CH3(CH2)14CO2H.

As its name indicates, it is a major component of the oil from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_tree" title="Palm tree" class="mw-redirect" >palm trees</a> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_oil" title="Palm oil" >palm oil</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_kernel" title="Palm kernel" >palm kernel</a> oil, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconut_oil" title="Coconut oil" >coconut oil</a>).

<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palmitate" title="Palmitate" class="mw-redirect" >Palmitate</a>is a term for the salts and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ester" title="Ester" >esters</a> of palmitic acid. The palmitate anion is the observed form of palmitic acid at basic pH.

Palmitic acid has been shown (in rats fed on a 20% fat (palmitic acid), 80% carbohydrate diet) to alter aspects of the central nervous system responsible for the secretion of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insulin" title="Insulin" >insulin</a>, and to

suppress the body's natural appetite-suppressing signals from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leptin" title="Leptin" >leptin</a> and insulin -- the key hormones involved in weight regulation<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palmitic_acid#cite_note-4" >[5]</a>.

Aluminum salts of palmitic acid and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naphthenic_acid" title="Naphthenic acid" >naphthenic acid</a> were combined during <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II" title="World War II" >World War II</a> to produce <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napalm" title="Napalm" >napalm</a>(aluminum naphthenate and aluminum palmitate).

The word "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napalm" title="Napalm" >napalm</a>" is derived from the words <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naphthenic_acid" title="Naphthenic acid" >naphthenic acid</a> and palmitic acid.

Palmitic acid is mainly used to produce soaps, cosmetics, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Release_agent" title="Release agent" >release agents</a>. These applications utilize sodium palmitate, which is commonly obtained by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saponification" title="Saponification" >saponification</a> of palm oil. To this end, palm oil, rendered from the coconut palm nut, is treated with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_hydroxide" title="Sodium hydroxide" >sodium hydroxide</a> (in the form of caustic soda or lye), which causes <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrolysis" title="Hydrolysis" >hydrolysis</a> of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ester" title="Ester" >ester</a>groups. This procedure affords <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycerol" title="Glycerol" >glycerol</a> and sodium palmitate.

Because it is inexpensive and adds texture to processed foods (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convenience_food" title="Convenience food" >convenience food</a>), palmitic acid and its sodium salt find wide use including foodstuffs. Sodium palmitate is permitted as a natural additive in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_certification" title="Organic certification" >organic</a> products.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palmitic_acid#cite_note-8" >[9]</a>

<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogenation" title="Hydrogenation" >Hydrogenation</a> of palmitic acid yields <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cetyl_alcohol" title="Cetyl alcohol" >cetyl alcohol</a>, which is used to produce detergents and cosmetics.

Recently, a long-acting antipsychotic medication, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paliperidone" title="Paliperidone" >paliperidone</a> palmitate (marketed as INVEGA Sustenna), used in the treatment of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schizophrenia" title="Schizophrenia" >schizophrenia</a>, has been synthesized using the oily

palmitate ester as a long-acting release carrier medium when injected intramuscularly. The underlying method of drug delivery is similar to that used with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decanoic_acid" title="Decanoic acid" >decanoic acid</a> to deliver long-acting depot medication, in particular, neuroleptics such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haloperidol" title="Haloperidol" >haloperidol</a> decanoate.

According to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Health_Organization" title="World Health Organization" >World Health Organization</a>, evidence is "convincing" that consumption of palmitic acid increases risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, placing it in the same evidence category as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans_fatty_acids" title="Trans fatty acids" class="mw-redirect" >trans fatty acids</a>.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palmitic_acid#cite_note-9" >[10]</a>

<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retinyl_palmitate" title="Retinyl palmitate" >Retinyl palmitate</a> is an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antioxidant" title="Antioxidant" >antioxidant</a> and a source of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_A" title="Vitamin A" >vitamin A</a> added to low fat milk to replace the vitamin content lost through the removal of milk fat. Palmitate is attached to the alcohol form of vitamin A, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retinol" title="Retinol" >retinol</a>, to make vitamin A stable in milk.