Mikromol featured product: Palmitic acid

Featured Product 

Palmitic acid 

Excipient 

Product Code: MM0704.00

Introduction

Palmitic acid is a saturated long-chain fatty acid with a 16-carbon backbone that occurs naturally in animal oils and fats, as well as in palm and coconut oils. The principal constituent of refined palm oil, it is used as a food additive, as well as an emollient or surfactant in cosmetics. Its benefits as an excipient in pharmaceutical products and supplements were first reported in the mid-1980s.

Mechanism of action

Palmitic acid is an effective Lipid-based formulation (LBF) – a type of delivery system that allows an orally-administered medicine to maintain its supersaturated drug concentration by addressing the hydrophobicity, lipophilicity, poor bioavailability and low water-solubility of many pharmaceuticals. The use of palmitic acid and other LBFs enhances drug solubilisation through initially presenting the drug in a solubilised form, and then preventing drug precipitation by altering the nature of both exogenous (formulation-derived) and endogenous solubilising species in the intestinal milieu. A 2019 study by Goon et. al. found that LBFs derived from palm oil also had good safety profiles, making them suitable for human consumption, and helped extend product shelf lives.