palmitát

Palmitate refers to the salt or ester of palmitic acid. Palmitic acid is a saturated fatty acid with a 16-carbon chain, commonly found in palm oil and animal fats. As a salt, palmitate is typically formed by reacting palmitic acid with a base, such as sodium hydroxide, to create sodium palmitate. Sodium palmitate is a surfactant, meaning it can reduce the surface tension between liquids or between a liquid and a solid, making it useful in soaps and detergents.

As an ester, palmitate is formed when palmitic acid reacts with an alcohol. Many important biological molecules contain palmitate esters. For instance, triglycerides are esters formed from glycerol and three fatty acids, and they can include palmitic acid, resulting in palmitate triglycerides. In humans, palmitoylation is a type of post-translational modification where palmitic acid is attached to a protein. This process involves the formation of a thioester bond between the palmitoyl group and a cysteine residue in the protein. Palmitoylation plays a role in protein localization, membrane association, and protein-protein interactions. Vitamin A palmitate and vitamin E palmitate are common forms of these vitamins used in supplements and cosmetics, where the palmitate ester helps to stabilize the vitamins and improve their absorption or delivery.