Myristic Acid
Myristic acid (tetradecanoic acid) is a long-chain saturated fatty acid of 14 carbon atoms. Palm kernel oil and coconut oil contain myristic acid; however, nutmeg oil is the richest source of myristic acid, with concentration ranging from 65-75%. Some marine microalgae, such as Skeletonema costatum contain myristic acid in a relatively good quantity.
In macroalgae, myristic acid content varies with algal species and usually ranges from 2 to 15%.
Myristic acid can serve as an energy source. It plays a crucial cellular function as a lipid anchor for protein through myristoylation. Myristoylated proteins are involved in the signal transduction cascade. The potential application of myristic acid in the food industry is to improve the flavour of food. Myristic acid is also used in skin cleansers and shaving creams due to its foaming and emulsifying properties.
Myristic acid also exhibits potential antimicrobial activity. Incorporating myristic acid into feed resulted in the inhibition of the growth of methanogens in the rumen and reduced methane production by ruminant livestock.
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Analysis Packages for Myristic Acid
The Celignis Analysis Package(s) that determine this constituent are listed below:Equipment Used for Myristic Acid Analysis
| Gas Chromatograph with Mass Spectrometer (GC-MS) Our lab has an Agilent 6890 gas chromatograph (GC) coupled to an Agilent 5973 mass selective detector (Mass Spectrometer). |
Additional Material
We can determine the Myristic Acid content of biomass, click here to learn more about our various biomass analysis methods.We can determine the Myristic Acid content of seaweed, click here to learn more about our various methods for analysing seaweed.
