What molecules are we?
Lauric, myristic, and palmitic acids1 (Figures 1–3) are former Molecules of the Week. This holiday season, we bring them together to report on how they might brighten up your life.
All three of the compounds are saturated fatty acids. Their esters, primarily triglycerides, are found in a range of foods and are not particularly good for you in that they can cause you to gain weight and increase your low-density lipoprotein (“bad cholesterol”) level.
But wait—the same esters can bring you joy. They are major components of bayberry wax, a substance derived from the fruit of bayberry shrubs (Myrica cerifera and M. pensylvanica) that grow in many regions of the United States, Caribbean islands, and Central America.
To make bayberry candles, the wax is separated from the fruit by boiling it in water and collecting the wax from the water’s surface. The wax, which melts in the range 39–49 ºC, is heated at low temperature to liquefy it without burning or decomposing it. Finally, the molten wax is poured into candle molds with wicks. Once the wax cools, the molds are removed. The burning candles emit a pleasant, balsam-like scent to enhance your holiday enjoyment.
Bayberry wax has also been used as a soap ingredient and insect repellent.
1. CAS Reg. Nos. 143-07-7, 544-63-8, and 57-10-3, respectively. For details on their properties, see the original MOTW entries.
Molecule in the News
Iloprost1 is a carbacyclin2 derivative first reported in 1981 by Karsten Schrör*, Ralf Ohlendorf, and Harald Darius at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (West Germany). Under the experimental name ZK 36 374, the authors found that it was effective against acute myocardial ischemia, which occurs with poor oxygen delivery to heart muscle. Iloprost has been used to treat other conditions in which blood flow is restricted, such as pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH; high blood pressure) and scleroderma.
The US Food and Drug Administration approved the use of iloprost for PAH in 2004. Now, 20 years later, FDA authorized it as the first official treatment for severe frostbite, even though it had long been used off-label for that purpose. In 2012, Srivari Chandrasekhar*, Chirumarry Sridhar, and Pabbaraja Srihari at the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (Hyderabad) showed that iloprost can be conveniently synthesized from the natural hormone prostacyclin3.
1. CAS Reg. No. 78919-13-8; SciFindern name: Pentanoic acid, 5-{(3aS,4R,5R,6aS)-hexahydro-5-hydroxy-4-[(1E,3S)-3-hydroxy-4-methyl-1-octen-6-yn-1-yl]-2(1H)-pentalenylidene}-.
2. CAS Reg. No. 69552-46-1.
3. CAS Reg. No. 35121-78-9.
Molecules in the News
MOTW highlights molecules that appear in major news outlets. See this week's edition.
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