Palmitate

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What is Palmitate?  Palmitates are the salts and esters of palmitic acid. Palmitic acid, or hexadecanoic acid in IUPAC nomenclature, is the most common saturated fatty acid found in animals, plants and microorganisms. Its chemical formula is CH₃(CH₂)₁₄COOH, and its C:D is 16:0. As its name indicates, it is a major component of the oil from the fruit of oil palms (palm oil). The palmitate anion is the observed form of palmitic acid at physiologic pH (7.4).

Palmitate Chemistry  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 body component of animals. In humans, one analysis found it to make up 21–30% (molar) of human depot fat, and it is a major, but highly variable, lipid component of human breast milk. Palmitate negatively feeds back on acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), which is responsible for converting acetyl-CoA to malonyl-CoA, which in turn is used to add to the growing acyl chain, thus preventing further palmitate generation. In biology, some proteins are modified by the addition of a palmitoyl group in a process known as palmitoylation. Palmitoylation is important for membrane localization of many proteins.

Uses of Palmitate  Because it is inexpensive and adds texture and “mouth feel” to processed foods (convenience food), palmitic acid and its sodium salt find wide use in foodstuffs. Sodium palmitate is permitted as a natural additive in organic products.

Naturally Occurring Palmitate and Production of Palmitate  Palmitic acid was discovered by Edmond Frémy in 1840, in saponified palm oil. This remains the primary industrial route for its production, with the triglycerides (fats) in palm oil being hydrolyzed by high temperature water (above 200 °C or 390 °F), and the resulting mixture fractionally distilled to give the pure product.

Palmitic acid is naturally produced by a wide range of other plants and organisms, typically at low levels. It is naturally present in butter, cheese, milk, and meat, as well as cocoa butter, soybean oil, and sunflower oil. Karukas contain 44.90% palmitic acid. The cetyl ester of palmitic acid (cetyl palmitate) occurs in spermaceti.

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