408-35-5

A poison. Combustible.

Sodium palmitate, white solid, soluble, froth or foam upon shaking the H2O solution (soap), formed by reaction of NaOH and palmitic acid (in alcoholic solution) and evaporating. Used as a source of palmitate.

white powder

Sodium palmitate is the sodium salt of palmitic acid, a component in hard soaps. Palmitic acid is a common saturated fatty acid and produced during fatty acid synthesis. Sodium palmitate enhances lipogenesis, cellular steatosis in various cell lines. Palmitate induces cell death in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)/neu-positive cells and breast cancer cell lines like MCF-7 due to enhanced fatty acid accumulation. Sodium palmitate induces lipoapoptosis in L02 and HepG2 liver cells by inducing glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK3β) expression.

It crystallises from EtOH and is dried in an oven. [Beilstein 2 IV 1157.]