Palmitoleic Acid ethyl ester

Palmitoleic acid (9-hexadecenoic acid) is an unsaturated fatty acid that is found in highest concentration in the liver. It is a common component of the glycerides of human adipose tissues. Two other sources of palmitoleic acid are macadamia oil and sea buckthorn oil which contain about 20% and 40% of total fatty acid composition, respectively. Palmitoleic acid ethyl ester (ethyl palmitoleate) is a more lipophilic form of the free acid. It is one of the fatty acid ethyl esters that increase cytosolic Ca2+ concentration leading to pancreatic acinar cell injury due to excessive consumption of ethanol. Ethyl palmitoleate (10-100 µM) in addition to 850 mM ethanol resulted in sustained, concentration-dependent increases in Ca2+ that caused cell death. This fatty acid ethyl ester is also a potential biomarker for fetal exposure to alcohol.