Myristic acid (IUPAC name: tetradecanoic acid) is a common saturated fatty acid with the molecular formula . Its salts and are commonly referred to as myristates or tetradecanoates. The name of the acyl group derived from myristic acid is myristoyl or tetradecanoyl. The acid is named after the binomial name for nutmeg ( Myristica fragrans), from which it was first isolated in 1841 by Lyon Playfair.
Occurrence
Nutmeg butter has 75%
trimyristin, the
triglyceride of myristic acid and a source from which it can be synthesised.
Besides nutmeg, myristic acid is found in palm kernel oil,
coconut oil,
butterfat, 8–14% of bovine
milk, and 8.6% of
breast milk as well as being a minor component of many other animal fats.
It is found in
spermaceti, the crystallized fraction of oil from the
sperm whale. It is also found in the rhizomes of the Iris, including
Orris root.
[Council of Europe, August 2007 ][John Charles Sawer ]
Chemical behaviour
Myristic acid acts as a lipid anchor in
.
Reduction of myristic acid yields myristyl aldehyde and myristyl alcohol.
Health effects
Myristic acid consumption raises low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.
See also
