Lesquerolic acid is a
hydroxycarboxylic acid that occurs naturally in ''
Paysonia lasiocarpa'' and other ''
Paysonia'' and ''
Physaria
''Physaria'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Brassicaceae. Many species are known generally as twinpods, bladderpods, or lesquerella. They are native to the Americas, with many species endemic to western North America. They are dense ...
'' species.
The acid is typically found together with other hydroxylated fatty acids, such as
densipolic,
auricolic,
ricinoleic, etc.
This compound has the
''R'' configuration at the alcohol-bearing stereocenter, and it is of the
''Z'' configuration at the olefin. Lesquerolic acid is chemically similar to
ricinoleic acid
Ricinoleic acid, formally called 12-hydroxy-9-''cis''-octadecenoic acid, is a fatty acid. It is an Unsaturated fatty acid, unsaturated omega-9 fatty acid and a hydroxy acid. It is a major component of the seed oil obtained from the seeds of casto ...
, but with two additional carbons at the
carboxyl
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 often written as or , sometimes as with R referring to an organyl group (e.g. ...
end of the carbon chain.
Uses
Lesquerolic acid, with other hydroxy fatty acids, has important industrial uses, including making resins, waxes, nylons and plastics.
References
Fatty acids
Hydroxy acids
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