Cypionic acid, also known as cyclopentylpropionic acid, is an
aliphatic carboxylic acid
In organic chemistry, a carboxylic acid is an organic acid that contains a carboxyl group () attached to an R-group. The general formula of a carboxylic acid is or , with R referring to the alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, or other group. Carboxylic ...
with the molecular formula C
8H
14O
2. Its
salts and
esters are known as cypionates or cipionates.
The primary use of cypionic acid is in
pharmaceutical formulations. Cypionic acid is used to prepare ester
prodrug
A prodrug is a medication or compound that, after intake, is metabolized (i.e., converted within the body) into a pharmacologically active drug. Instead of administering a drug directly, a corresponding prodrug can be used to improve how the drug ...
s which have increased
half-lives relative to the parent compound. The
lipophilicity of the cypionate group allows the prodrug to be sequestered in fat depots after intramuscular injection.
The ester group is slowly
hydrolyzed
Hydrolysis (; ) is any chemical reaction in which a molecule of water breaks one or more chemical bonds. The term is used broadly for substitution, elimination, and solvation reactions in which water is the nucleophile.
Biological hydrolysis ...
by metabolic enzymes, releasing steady doses of the active ingredient. Examples include
testosterone cypionate,
estradiol cypionate,
hydrocortisone cypionate,
oxabolone cipionate, and
mesterolone cypionate.
References
{{Organic-compound-stub
Carboxylic acids
Cyclopentyl compounds