Retinyl palmitate
IUPAC name	[(2E,4E,6E,8E)-3,7-Dimethyl-9-(2,6,6-trimethyl-1-cyclohexenyl)nona-2,4,6,8-tetraenyl] hexadecanoate
Other names	Retinol palmitate
Identifiers
CAS number	79-81-2 Y
PubChem	5280531
SMILES	CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC(=O)OCC=C(C)C=CC=C(C)C=CC1=C(CCCC1(C)C)C
Properties
Molecular formula	C36H60O2
Molar mass	524.86 g/mol
Y (what is this?)  (verify) Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa)
Infobox references

Retinyl palmitate, or vitamin A palmitate is the ester of retinol (vitamin A) and palmitic acid, with formula C₃₆H₆₀O₂.

Palmitate is the major component of palm oil. The word palmitate is from the French "palmitique", the pith of the palm tree.

An alternate spelling, retinol palmitate, which violates the -yl organic chemical naming convention for esters, is also frequently seen.

[edit] Uses

Retinyl palmitate is a synthetic alternate for retinyl acetate in vitamin A supplements, and is available in oily or dry forms. It is a common vitamin supplement, available in both oral and injectable forms for treatment of vitamin A deficiency, under the brand names Aquasol A, Palmitate A and many others. It is a pre-formed version of vitamin A, therefore the intake should not exceed the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA). Overdosing preformed Vitamin A forms such as retinyl palmitate leads to adverse physiological reactions (hypervitaminosis A).^[1]

Retinyl palmitate is used as an antioxidant and a source of vitamin A added to low fat milk and other dairy products to replace the vitamin content lost through the removal of milk fat. Palmitate is attached to the alcohol form of vitamin A, retinol, in order to make vitamin A stable in milk.^{[citation needed]}

Retinyl palmitate is also a constituent of some topically-applied skin care products. After its absorption into the skin, retinyl palmitate is converted to retinol, and ultimately to retinoic acid (the active form of vitamin A present in Retin-A).

[edit] References