Nervonic acid
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| Names | |
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IUPAC name
(Z)-Tetracos-15-enoic acid
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| Other names
cis-15-Tetracosenoic acid
24:1 cis, delta 15 or 24:1 omega 9 |
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| Identifiers | |
506-37-6 
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| 3D model (Jmol) | Interactive image |
| ChEBI |
CHEBI:44247 
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| ChEMBL |
ChEMBL1173379
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| ChemSpider |
4444565
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| ECHA InfoCard | 100.108.655 |
| KEGG |
C08323
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| PubChem | 5281120 |
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| Properties | |
| C24H46O2 | |
| Molar mass | 366.62 g/mol |
| Melting point | 42 to 43 °C (108 to 109 °F; 315 to 316 K) |
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Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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 (what is ?) |
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| Infobox references | |
Nervonic acid (24:1, n-9) is a fatty acid. It is a monounsaturated analog of lignoceric acid (24:0). It is also known as selacholeic acid and cis-15-tetracosenoic acid.
It exists in nature as an elongation product of oleic acid (18:1 Δ9), its immediate precursor being erucic acid. Nervonic acid is particularly abundant in the white matter of animal brains and in peripheral nervous tissue where nervonyl sphingolipids are enriched in the myelin sheath of nerve fibers.
In the same way, recent studies have concluded that nervonic acid is implicated as an intermediate in the biosynthesis of nerve cell myelin.
This acid is an important member of the group of the cerebrosides, which are fatty acids of the glycosphingolipids group, important components of the muscles and the central nervous system and peripheral. Indeed, it is one of the major fatty acids in brain sphingolipids, normally accounting for approximately 40% of the total fatty acids in sphingolipids.
As it is defined as a monounsaturated fatty acid, it has one double bond in the fatty acid chain and all the remaining carbon atoms are single-bonded.
It is classified in the sub-group of very long chain fatty acids (VLCFA), which includes molecules containing more than 20 carbon atoms. It has specifically 24-carbon backbone and the sole C=C double bond originating from the methyl end is in n-9 or omega-9 (ω-9).
Nervonic acid is an essential nutrient for the growth and maintenance of the brain.
This acid has been found in breast-milk: it is said it can speed the development in infants. It is the reason why it is recommended to pregnant and nursing women.
This acid is a regulator of the Ca2+ion channel in the cell membrane of nerve tissues, so nervonic acid plays an important role in the control of the levels of calcium of the cytosol.
Nervonic acid can regulate the function of brain cell membranes and have a neuroprotective effect which is important to high-level training adults or athletes: it is an energy supplement.
Moreover, due to its function as an intermediate in myelin biosynthesis, dietary therapy with nervonic acid-containing fats has been studied: nervonic acid appears to be beneficial for the treatment of genetic disorders of the lipid metabolism, such as Zellweger syndrome or adrenoleukodistrophy. Nervonic acid beta-oxidation takes place in peroxisomes, and this oxidation is impaired in X-ALD patients. Due to different mutations, people having these disorders have ineffective peroxisomes. It causes an important accumulation of very long chain fatty acids, that can be treated with oils enriched with 24:1 (Lorenzo's oil, Lunaria's oil).
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