Arachidic acid, also called
eicosanoic acid, is a saturated
fatty acidIn chemistry, especially biochemistry, a fatty acid is a carboxylic acid often with a long unbranched aliphatic tail , which is either saturated or unsaturated...
found in
peanutThe peanut, or groundnut , is a species in the legume family native to South America, Mexico and Central America. It is an annual herbaceous plant growing 30 to 50 cm tall...
oil. Its name derives from the Latin
arachis — peanut.
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Arachidic acid, also called
eicosanoic acid, is a saturated
fatty acidIn chemistry, especially biochemistry, a fatty acid is a carboxylic acid often with a long unbranched aliphatic tail , which is either saturated or unsaturated...
found in
peanutThe peanut, or groundnut , is a species in the legume family native to South America, Mexico and Central America. It is an annual herbaceous plant growing 30 to 50 cm tall...
oil. Its name derives from the Latin
arachis — peanut.
It can be formed by the
hydrogenationHydrogenation is the chemical reaction that results from the addition of hydrogen . The process is usually employed to reduce or saturate organic compounds. The process typically constitutes the addition of pairs of hydrogen atoms to a molecule. Catalysts are required for the reaction to be...
of
arachidonic acidArachidonic acid is an omega-6 fatty acid 20:4.It is the counterpart to the saturated arachidic acid found in peanut oil, Arachidonic acid (AA, sometimes ARA) is an omega-6 fatty acid 20:4(ω-6).It is the counterpart to the saturated arachidic acid found in peanut oil, Arachidonic acid (AA,...
. It is practically insoluble in water, and stable under normal conditions. It is a
surfactantSurfactants are wetting agents that lower the surface tension of a liquid, allowing easier spreading, and lower the interfacial tension between two liquids.- Etymology :The term surfactant is a blend of surface active agent...
.
Reduction of arachidic acid yields
arachidyl alcoholArachidyl alcohol, also 1-icosanol, is a waxy substance used as an emollient in cosmetics. It is a straight-chain fatty alcohol....
.