MOLECULE

Lignoceric acid

Lignoceric acid or tetracosanoate, also known as lignocerat, with formula C23H47COOH, belongs to the class of organic compounds known as very long-chain fatty acids. These are fatty acids with an aliphatic tail that contains at least 22 carbon atoms. Lignoceric acid is a fatty acid lipid molecule. Lignoceric acid is practically insoluble in water and a weakly acidic compound. It is found in wood tar, various cerebrosides, and in small amounts in most natural fats. The fatty acids of peanut oil contain 1.1% – 2.2% of lignoceric acid. This fatty acid is also a by product of lignin production. Lignoceric acid is one of the saturated fatty acids identified in the oil of cannabis seed (PMID: 6991645). In humans, Lignoceric acid, one of the very long chain fatty acids, is associate with the X-chromosome linked disease, adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD), marked by a deficiency in peroxisomal fatty acid beta oxidation. ALD is caused by mutations in ABCD1, a gene that encodes for ALD, a peroxisomal membrane transporter protein. Those with ALD build-up long chain fatty acids, affecting myelin in the central nervous system, the adrenal cortex, and the Leydig cells in the testes. Lignoceric acid is also involved in carnitine-acylcarnitine translocase deficiency, which is a metabolic disorder.