What Is Cetoleic Acid (22:1 n-11)?

Cetoleic acid, 22:1 n-11, is a very-long-chain monounsaturated omega-11 fatty acid.

It’s considered to be practically insoluble, in water, and relatively neutral.

It’s mostly found in animal sources.

In the body, cetoleic acid stimulates the synthesis of EPA and DHA from ALA.

It might also be beneficial for your skin.

Cetoleic Acid Is An Important Acid

22:1 n-11 is also called cetoleic acid.

It has been proven to be an important fatty acid. (source ◳)

Cetoleic acid has shown the ability to stimulate the conversion of the short omega-3 fatty acid alpha linolenic acid, ALA (that plant oils are rich in), to the long and healthy omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid, EPA and docosahexaenoic acid, DHA. (source ◳)

It is also believed that cetoleic acid can be beneficial for the skin, and can be used as an emollient and softening agent.

Cetoleic Acid In Foods

Cetoleic acid is found in animal sources.

Cetoleic acid is a minor component in the fat fraction of beef tallow and beef lard and is present in small amounts in other fats and oils.

It can also be found in smaller amounts in vegetable oils from mustard seed and rapeseed. (source ◳)

Uses Of Cetoleic Acid

Cetoleic acid can be used to produce functional foods, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.

It can also be used in the synthesis of polymers, lubricants and as a solubilizer.

Cetoleic acid can be used in the preparation of soaps.

Cetoleic acid can also be used in the manufacture of biofuels. It is obtained from castor oil by the reaction with hydrogen, but the yields are low. So it is not that common.

Foods That Contain Cetoleic Acid In Our Nutrition Tool

You can access regularly updated top-ranked lists of foods for over 200+ nutrients in our nutrition tool.

We currently have just a few foods in our nutrition tool that contain Cetoleic acid.

Here's our short list of foods that contain Cetoleic acid.