Cerotic acid, or hexacosanoic acid, is a 26-carbon long-chain saturated fatty acid with the chemical formula CH3(CH2)24COOH.[1] It is most commonly found in beeswax and carnauba wax. It is a white solid, although impure samples appear yellowish.

The name is derived from the Latin word cerotus, which in turn was derived from the Ancient Greek word κηρός (keros), meaning beeswax or honeycomb.

Cerotic acid is also a type of very long chain fatty acid that is often associated with the disease adrenoleukodystrophy, which involves the excessive accumulation of unmetabolized fatty acid chains, including cerotic acid, in the peroxisome.[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ Alexander Senning (2019). "7. The naming of lipids and lipid constituents". The Etymology of Chemical Names. doi:10.1515/9783110612714-007.
  2. ^ Singh I, Moser AE, Moser HW, Kishimoto Y (1984). "Adrenoleukodystrophy: impaired oxidation of very long chain fatty acids in white blood cells, cultured skin fibroblasts, and amniocytes". Pediatr Res. 18 (3): 286–290. doi:10.1203/00006450-198403000-00016.