Palmitic acid-13C is intended for use as an internal standard for the quantification of palmitic acid by GC- or LC-MS. Palmitic acid is a common 16-carbon saturated fat that represents 10-20% of human dietary fat intake and comprises approximately 25 and 65% of human total plasma lipids and saturated fatty acids, respectively. Acylation of palmitic acid to proteins facilitates anchoring of membrane-bound proteins to the lipid bilayer and trafficking of intracellular proteins, promotes protein-vesicle interactions, and regulates various G protein-coupled receptor functions. Red blood cell palmitic acid levels are increased in patients with metabolic syndrome compared to patients without metabolic syndrome and are also increased in the plasma of patients with type 2 diabetes compared to individuals without diabetes.
