Any saturated fatty acid lacking a side-chain.
| Member | Definition | Role |
|---|
| 10-hydroxycapric acid | A 10-carbon, omega-hydroxy fatty acid, shown to be the preferred hydroxylation product (together with the 9-OH isomer) of capric acid in biosystems, and used as a standard in lipid assays; reported to have cytotoxic effects. | 10-hydroxycapric acid |
| arachidic acid | A C20 striaght-chain saturated fatty acid which forms a minor constituent of peanut (L. arachis) and corn oils. Used as an organic thin film in the production of liquid crystals for a wide variety of technical applications. | icosanoic acid |
| behenic acid | A straight-chain, C22, long-chain saturated fatty acid. | docosanoic acid |
| butyric acid | A straight-chain saturated fatty acid that is butane in which one of the terminal methyl groups has been oxidised to a carboxy group. | butyric acid |
| decanoic acid | A C10, straight-chain saturated fatty acid. | decanoic acid |
| heneicosanoic acid | A long-chain fatty acid that is henicosane in which one of the methyl groups has been oxidised to give the corresponding carboxylic acid. | henicosanoic acid |
| heptanoic acid | A C7, straight-chain fatty acid that contributes to the odour of some rancid oils. Used in the preparation of esters for the fragrance industry, and as an additive in cigarettes. | heptanoic acid |
| hexacosanoic acid | A 26-carbon, straight-chain, saturated fatty acid. | hexacosanoic acid |
| hexanoic acid | A C6, straight-chain saturated fatty acid. | hexanoic acid |
| lauric acid | A straight-chain, twelve-carbon medium-chain saturated fatty acid with strong bactericidal properties; the main fatty acid in coconut oil and palm kernel oil. | dodecanoic acid |
| levulinic acid | An oxopentanoic acid with the oxo group in the 4-position. | 4-oxopentanoic acid |
| lignoceric acid | A C24 straight-chain saturated fatty acid. | tetracosanoic acid |
| margaric acid | A C17 saturated fatty acid and trace component of fats in ruminants. | heptadecanoic acid |
| myristic acid | A straight-chain, fourteen-carbon, long-chain saturated fatty acid mostly found in milk fat. | tetradecanoic acid |
| n-pentanoic acid | A straight-chain saturated fatty acid containing five carbon atoms. | valeric acid |
| nonadecanoic acid | A C19 straight-chain fatty acid of plant or bacterial origin. An intermediate in the biodegradation of n-icosane, it has been shown to inhibit cancer growth. | nonadecanoic acid |
| octacosanoic acid | A straight-chain saturated fatty acid that is octacosane in which one of the terminal methyl groups has been oxidised to the corresponding carboxy group. | octacosanoic acid |
| octanoic acid | A straight-chain saturated fatty acid that is heptane in which one of the hydrogens of a terminal methyl group has been replaced by a carboxy group. Octanoic acid is also known as caprylic acid. | octanoic acid |
| palmitic acid | A straight-chain, sixteen-carbon, saturated long-chain fatty acid. | hexadecanoic acid |
| pelargonic acid | A C9 straight-chain saturated fatty acid which occurs naturally as esters of the oil of pelargonium. Has antifungal properties, and is also used as a herbicide as well as in the preparation of plasticisers and lacquers. | nonanoic acid |
| pentadecanoic acid | A straight-chain saturated fatty acid containing fifteen-carbon atoms. | pentadecanoic acid |
| stearic acid | A C18 straight-chain saturated fatty acid component of many animal and vegetable lipids. As well as in the diet, it is used in hardening soaps, softening plastics and in making cosmetics, candles and plastics. | octadecanoic acid |
| tricosanoic acid | A very long-chain fatty acid that is tricosane in which one of the methyl groups has been oxidised to the corresponding carboxylic acid. | tricosanoic acid |
| tridecanoic acid | A C13 straight-chain saturated fatty acid. | tridecanoic acid |
| undecanoic acid | A straight-chain, eleven-carbon saturated medium-chain fatty acid found in body fluids; the most fungitoxic of the C7:0 - C18:0 fatty acid series. | undecanoic acid |