Structure of Palmitoyl

Soaps sometimes contain palmitic acid, a molecule containing the palmitoyl group.

Palmitoyl describes a structure occuring in many different molecules, some of them biological in nature and some industrial or synthetic. With a hydroxyl group attached, it exists as palmitic acid, named for its presence in palm oil.

Identification

The palmitoyl group, also called hexadecanoyl, consists of a chain of 16 carbon atoms, with the carbon atom at one end bonded to three hydrogen atoms, the carbon atom at the opposite end double-bonded to an oxygen atom and the carbons along the chain each bonded to two hydrogen atoms, according to the European Bioinformatics Institute.

Misconceptions

Palmitoyl does not exist as a molecule by itself, but as a group of atoms appearing in other molecules. The group connects to other molecules by the carbon at the oxygen end (also called a carbonyl carbon). A molecule with a palmitoyl group in it will have palmitoyl in its name, for instance, palmitoyl chloride.

Types

When the group appears with another oxygen or hydroxyl group bonded to the carbonyl carbon, it forms a molecule known as palmitic acid, or more formally, hexadecanoic acid. Palmitic acid, a saturated fatty acid named for palm oil, appears naturally in many foods.

Fun Fact

The palmitoyl structure plays a role in many biological processes, according to an article by Roy et al. in "Molecular and Cellular Biology."

References

• European Bioinformatics Institute: Palmitoyl Group
• PubChem: Palmitic Acid
• Roy et al., Molecular and Cellular Biology, 8/2005: Individual Palmitoyl Residues Serve Distinct Roles...