Skip to Content
Merck
All Photos(3)

Documents

P4060

Sigma-Aldrich

Phytanic acid

≥96%, mixture of isomers

Synonym(s):

3,7,11,15-Tetramethylhexadecanoic acid, NSC 108698, Phytanoic acid

Sign Into View Organizational & Contract Pricing
All Photos(3)

About This Item

Empirical Formula (Hill Notation):
C20H40O2
CAS Number:
14721-66-5
Molecular Weight:
312.53
MDL number:
MFCD00133772
UNSPSC Code:
12352211
PubChem Substance ID:
24898502
NACRES:
NA.25

biological source

synthetic (organic)

Assay

≥96%

form

liquid

functional group

carboxylic acid

lipid type

saturated FAs

shipped in

ambient

storage temp.

2-8°C

SMILES string

CC(C)CCCC(C)CCCC(C)CCCC(C)CC(O)=O

InChI

1S/C20H40O2/c1-16(2)9-6-10-17(3)11-7-12-18(4)13-8-14-19(5)15-20(21)22/h16-19H,6-15H2,1-5H3,(H,21,22)

InChI key

RLCKHJSFHOZMDR-UHFFFAOYSA-N

Looking for similar products? Visit Product Comparison Guide

Related Categories

Pictograms

Exclamation mark
GHS07

Signal Word

Warning

Hazard Statements

H315,H319,H335

Hazard Classifications

Eye Irrit. 2 - Skin Irrit. 2 - STOT SE 3

Target Organs

Respiratory system

Storage Class Code

10 - Combustible liquids

WGK

WGK 3

Personal Protective Equipment

dust mask type N95 (US), Eyeshields, Gloves

Certificates of Analysis (COA)

Search for Certificates of Analysis (COA) by entering the products Lot/Batch Number. Lot and Batch Numbers can be found on a product’s label following the words ‘Lot’ or ‘Batch’.

Already Own This Product?

Find documentation for the products that you have recently purchased in the Document Library.

Visit the Document Library

N M Verhoeven et al.
Progress in lipid research, 40(6), 453-466 (2001-10-10)
Phytanic acid is a methyl-branched fatty acid present in the human diet. Due to its structure, degradation by beta-oxidation is impossible. Instead, phytanic acid is oxidized by alpha-oxidation, yielding pristanic acid. Despite many efforts to elucidate the alpha-oxidation pathway, it
R J Wanders et al.
Journal of neuropathology and experimental neurology, 60(11), 1021-1031 (2001-11-15)
Refsum disease was first recognized as a distinct disease entity by Sigvald Refsum in the 1940s. The discovery of markedly elevated levels of the branched-chain fatty acid phytanic acid in certain patients marked Refsum disease as a disorder of lipid
A W Zomer et al.
Journal of lipid research, 41(11), 1801-1807 (2000-11-04)
Phytanic acid and pristanic acid are branched-chain fatty acids, present at micromolar concentrations in the plasma of healthy individuals. Here we show that both phytanic acid and pristanic acid activate the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARalpha) in a concentration-dependent manner.
Ronald J A Wanders et al.
Biochimica et biophysica acta, 1811(9), 498-507 (2011-06-21)
Phytanic acid (3,7,11,15-tetramethylhexadecanoic acid) is a branched-chain fatty acid which cannot be beta-oxidized due to the presence of the first methyl group at the 3-position. Instead, phytanic acid undergoes alpha-oxidation to produce pristanic acid (2,6,10,14-tetramethylpentadecanoic acid) plus CO(2). Pristanic acid
N M Verhoeven et al.
Journal of inherited metabolic disease, 21(7), 697-728 (1998-11-20)
The branched-chain fatty acid phytanic acid is a constituent of the diet, present in diary products, meat and fish. Degradation of this fatty acid in the human body is preceded by activation to phytanoyl-CoA and starts with one cycle of
View All Related Papers

Our team of scientists has experience in all areas of research including Life Science, Material Science, Chemical Synthesis, Chromatography, Analytical and many others.

Contact Technical Service