Phytanic acid is a saturated 20-carbon branched-chain fatty acid which can only be derived from dietary sources. In cases of peroxisomal disorders, elevated levels of phytanic acid have been observed, and this is linked to diseases such as infantile phytanic acid storage disease and Refsum’s disease.
Phytanoic Acid was useful for studying lipid metabolism in porcine oocytes.
ChEBI: Phytanic acid is a branched-chain saturated fatty acid consisting of hexadecanoic acid carrying methyl substituents at positions 3, 7, 11 and 15. It is a branched-chain saturated fatty acid, a long-chain fatty acid and a methyl-branched fatty acid. It is functionally related to a hexadecanoic acid. It is a conjugate acid of a phytanate. It derives from a hydride of a phytane.