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. 2011 Jul 7;2011:615803. doi: 10.4061/2011/615803

Table 2.

Nomenclature of fatty acids [1, 9].

Common name Systematic name Chemical structure1 Melting point (°C)
Lauric acid Dodecanoic acid 12 : 0 44.2
Miristic acid Tetradecanoic acid 14 : 0 54.4
Palmitic acid Hexadecanoic acid 16 : 0 62.9
Palmitoleic acid 9-Hexadecenoic acid 16 : 1 −0.1
Stearic acid Octadecanoic acid 18 : 0 70.1
Oleic acid 9-Octadecenoic acid 18 : 1 16.3
Elaidic acid 9-Octadecenoic acid 18 : 1 43.7
Vaccenic acid 11-Octadecenoic acid 18 : 1 44.0
Linoleic acid 9, 12-Octadecadienoic acid 18 : 2 −6.5
γ-Linolenic acid 6, 9, 12-Octadecatrienoic acid 18 : 3 −11.0
α-Linolenic acid 9, 12, 15-Octadecatrienoic acid 18 : 3 −12.8
Arachidic acid Eicosanoic acid 20 : 0 76.1
Gadoleic acid 9-Eicosenoic acid 20 : 1 25.0
Arachidonic acid 5, 8, 11, 14-Eicosatetraenoic acid 20 : 4 −49.5
Behenic acid Docosanoic acid 22 : 0 80.0
Erucic acid 13-Docosenoic acid 22 : 1 33.4

1 x : y nomenclature, where x represents the total number of carbon atoms and y represents the number of unsaturated bonds.