描述
Methyl hexadecanoate, also known as methyl palmitate or palmitic acid methyl ester, is a member of the class of compounds known as fatty acid methyl esters. Fatty acid methyl esters are compounds containing a fatty acid that is esterified with a methyl group. They have the general structure RC(=O)OR', where R=fatty aliphatic tail or organyl group and R'=methyl group. Thus, methyl hexadecanoate is considered to be a fatty ester lipid molecule. Methyl hexadecanoate is practically insoluble (in water) and an extremely weak basic (essentially neutral) compound (based on its pKa). Methyl hexadecanoate is a fatty, oily, and waxy tasting compound found in cloves, which makes methyl hexadecanoate a potential biomarker for the consumption of this food product. Methyl hexadecanoate can be found primarily in saliva.