Oleic acid, also known as oleate, belongs to the class of organic compounds known as long-chain fatty acids. These are fatty acids with an aliphatic tail that contains between 13 and 21 carbon atoms. Oleic acid is a very hydrophobic molecule, practically insoluble in water, and relatively neutral. In chemical terms, oleic acid is classified as a monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid. It has the formula CH3(CH2)7CH=CH(CH2)7COOH. The term "oleic" means related to, or derived from, oil or olive, the plant oil that is predominantly composed of oleic acid. Oleic acid is the most widely distributed and abundant fatty acid in nature. It occurs naturally in various animal and vegetable fats and oils. Fatty acids such as oleic acid occur primarily esters (not as free acids), mostly in the form of triglycerides, which are the greasy materials in many natural oils. Oleic acid is an odorless, colourless oil, although commercial samples may be yellowish. Oleic acid is particularly abundant in plant oils e.g. olive oil (about 80%), almond oil (about 80%) 59–75% of pecan oil, 61% of canola oil, 36–67% of peanut oil, 60% of macadamia oil, 20–80% of sunflower oil, 15–20% of grape seed oil, 40% of sesame oil and 14% of poppyseed oil. Oleic acid is the most abundant fatty acid in human adipose tissue and the second most abundant in human tissues overall, following palmitic acid. Oleic acid is used in the manufacturing of surfactants, soaps, plasticizers and as an emulsifying agent in foods, lotions, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. Oleic acid may be responsible for the hypotensive (blood pressure reducing) effects of olive oil . Altered levels of oleic acid have been found to be associated with isovaleric acidemia, which is an inborn error of metabolism.
Belongs to the class of organic compounds known as long-chain fatty acids. These are fatty acids with an aliphatic tail that contains between 13 and 21 carbon atoms.
