Gorlic acid

Gorlic acid

Names
IUPAC name (Z)-13-[(1R)-cyclopent-2-en-1-yl]tridec-6-enoic acid
Other names (E)-13-cyclopent-2-en-1-yltridec-6-enoic
Identifiers
CAS Number	502-31-8  N
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image
ChEBI	CHEBI:61676
ChemSpider	26332318
PubChem CID	51351687
InChI InChI=1S/C18H30O2/c19-18(20)16-10-8-6-4-2-1-3-5-7-9-13-17-14-11-12-15-17/h2,4,11,14,17H,1,3,5-10,12-13,15-16H2,(H,19,20)/b4-2-/t17-/m0/s1 Key: XADKGDBMULSEAC-MMTGSJLXSA-N
SMILES C1C[C@H](C=C1)CCCCCC/C=C\CCCCC(=O)O
Properties
Chemical formula	C18H30O2
Molar mass	278.436 g·mol−1
Melting point	6 °C (43 °F; 279 K)
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). Infobox references

Gorlic acid is a long-chain unsaturated carbocyclic fatty acid composed of 18 carbon atoms, featuring a five-membered cyclopentene ring and a cis-double bond in the position 6=7. The chemical formula is C₁₈H₃₀O₂. ^[1] In biochemistry, the compound is considered a rare fatty acid that is only found in some plants.

Natural occurence

The acid was initially isolated by French chemists E. André and D. Jouatte in 1928—from the seed oil of a tropical West African tree Oncoba echinata, called "gorli" in the local language, hence the name. ^{[2] [3]}

The seeds of a large number of shrubs and trees belonging to the plant family formerly called Flacourtiaceae (now Achariaceae and Salicaceae ) contain lipids that are characterized by cyclopentenyl fatty acids, one of which is gorlic acid. The concentrations of gorlic acid in the carbohydrates of seed oils are: Hydnocarpus kurzii (22.6–25.1%), Caloncoba echinata (23.3%), Taraktogenos merrilliano (19.7%), Hydnocarpus anthelminticus (14%), Hydnocarpus wightiana (10–13.8%), and others to a lesser extent. ^[4]

Chemically, it's an unsaturated fatty acid with a cyclopentene ring, and often found alongside its isomer, chaulmoogric acid, in traditional remedies from Asia and Africa. ^[5]

Uses

Gorlic acid is a chemical compound that was historically a component of chaulmoogra oil, an ancient traditional medicine used for treating leprosy and other skin disorders. Along with hydnocarpic and chaulmoogric acids, gorlic acid was one of the primary cyclic fatty acids in the oil believed to be responsible for its therapeutic effects. The oil is also used to treat constipation, inflammation, blood disorders, and worm infestations. ^[6]

See also

• Chaulmoogric acid
• Hydnocarpic acid

References

1. Rodd, E. H. (1953). Chemistry of Carbon Compounds: pt. A-B. Alicyclic compounds. Elsevier. p. 120. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
2. Mangold, H. K.; Spener, F. (1977). "The Cyclopentenyl Fatty Acids". Lipids and Lipid Polymers in Higher Plants. Springer: 85–101. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-66632-2_5 . Retrieved 22 January 2026.
3. Cole, Howard Irving; Cardoso, Humberto T. (1 March 1938). "Isolation and Properties of Gorlic Acid, an Optically Active Liquid Fatty Acid". Journal of the American Chemical Society . 60 (3): 612–614. doi:10.1021/ja01270a032. ISSN   0002-7863 . Retrieved 22 January 2026.
4. Sengupta, A.; Gupta, J. K.; Dutta, J.; Ghosh, A. (1973). "The component fatty acids of chaulmoogra oil". Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture . 24 (6): 669–674. doi:10.1002/jsfa.2740240606. ISSN   1097-0010 . Retrieved 22 January 2026.
5. "Gorlic acid". usbio.net. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
6. Sahoo, Manas Ranjan; Dhanabal, S. P.; Jadhav, Atul N.; Reddy, Vishali; Muguli, Ganesh; Babu, U. V.; Rangesh, Paramesh (28 May 2014). "Hydnocarpus: An ethnopharmacological, phytochemical and pharmacological review". Journal of Ethnopharmacology . 154 (1): 17–25. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2014.03.029. ISSN   0378-8741 . Retrieved 22 January 2026.