Punicic acid
Encyclopedia
Punicic acid is a polyunsaturated fatty acid
, 18:3 (n-5). It is named for the pomegranate
, (Punica granatum), and is obtained from pomegranate seed oil.
It is also found in the seed oils of snake gourd and bitter gourd.
Punicic acid is a conjugated linolenic acid or ClnA; i.e. it has three conjugated double bonds
. It is chemically similar to the conjugated linoleic acid
s, or CLA, which have two.
In lab rats, it was found that punicic acid was converted to the CLA rumenic acid
(9Z11E-CLA). In vitro, it shows anticancer activity against prostate cancer cells. OLETF rats—a strain which becomes obese—remained relatively lean when punicic acid was added to their feed.
Polyunsaturated fat
In nutrition, polyunsaturated fat, or polyunsaturated fatty acid, are fatty acids in which more than one carbon–carbon double bond exists within the representative molecule. That is, the molecule has two or more points on its structure capable of supporting hydrogen atoms not currently part of the...
, 18:3 (n-5). It is named for the pomegranate
Pomegranate
The pomegranate , Punica granatum, is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub or small tree growing between five and eight meters tall.Native to the area of modern day Iran, the pomegranate has been cultivated in the Caucasus since ancient times. From there it spread to Asian areas such as the Caucasus as...
, (Punica granatum), and is obtained from pomegranate seed oil.
It is also found in the seed oils of snake gourd and bitter gourd.
Punicic acid is a conjugated linolenic acid or ClnA; i.e. it has three conjugated double bonds
Conjugated system
In chemistry, a conjugated system is a system of connected p-orbitals with delocalized electrons in compounds with alternating single and multiple bonds, which in general may lower the overall energy of the molecule and increase stability. Lone pairs, radicals or carbenium ions may be part of the...
. It is chemically similar to the conjugated linoleic acid
Conjugated linoleic acid
Conjugated linoleic acids are a family of at least 28 isomers of linoleic acid found mainly in the meat and dairy products derived from ruminants. As the name implies, the double bonds of CLAs are conjugated, with only one single bond between them....
s, or CLA, which have two.
In lab rats, it was found that punicic acid was converted to the CLA rumenic acid
Rumenic acid
Rumenic acid, also known as bovinic acid, is a conjugated linoleic acid found in the fat of ruminants and in dairy products. It is an omega-7 trans fat. Its lipid shorthand name is cis-9, trans-11 18:2 acid....
(9Z11E-CLA). In vitro, it shows anticancer activity against prostate cancer cells. OLETF rats—a strain which becomes obese—remained relatively lean when punicic acid was added to their feed.
See also
- Polyunsaturated fatty acids—Conjugated fatty acids