Phytanic acid

IUPAC: (7R, 11R ) - -3,7,11,15 Tetramethylhexadecansäure

Liquid

-7 ° C ( 3R- form)

• 221 ° C (1000 Pa; 3R- form)
• 174 ° C ( 26.65 Pa; 3S form)

Attention

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Phytanic acid is a naturally occurring chemical compound. It is a long-chain, branched, saturated fatty acid that is produced as a breakdown product of chlorophyll in ruminants and is received by the person with the consumption of beef and dairy products. A (rare ) metabolic disorder of people who can not degrade phytanic acid, is the Refsum syndrome.

Occurrence

The average value in the blood plasma is about 2 mg / l

Biology

Phytanic acid is consumed in the diet and degraded in the peroxisomes of the cells by the alpha- oxidation. In the first step it creates Phytanoyl -CoA.

Phytanic acid acts as a PPAR receptor agonist and is therefore capable of intervening in the glucose metabolism.

Use

The fact that grass-fed cows have more phytanic acid in the milk, it is possible to take over the Phytansäuregehalt of dairy products a statement about the livestock and thus to distinguish products from animals with grass-fed or pasture from others. Even with products from organic farming with appropriate feeding therefore the composition of the milk changes accordingly.

Analysis

Small amounts of phytanic acid can be detected with gas chromatography.