Chemical Properties
clear colorless liquid
Occurrence
Reported found in banana, grape, grapefruit juice, melon, strawberries, mushroom and cassava.
Uses
Methyl Linolenate has potential application towards human lung carcinoma cell lines, displaying cytotoxicity. Essential oil component.
Definition
ChEBI: Methyl linolenate is a fatty acid methyl ester derived from alpha-linolenic acid. It has a role as a plant metabolite and an insect attractant. It is functionally related to an alpha-linolenic acid.
Chemical Reactivity
Methyl linolenate has two bis-allylic methylene groups and reacts twice as fast with oxygen as linoleate. Linoleate was 40 times more reactive than oleate, and linolenate was 2.4 times more reactive than linoleate. The two bis-allylic methylene groups in linolenate act independently and are not activated by each other.
Biochem/physiol Actions
Methyl linolenate, a polyunsaturated fattly acid (PUFA), is used in studies on the mechanisms and prevention of oxidation/peroxidation of unsaturated fatty acids. Methyl linolenate is being studied as a possible skin whitening agent with anti-melanogenesis activity.
