What is "petroselinic acid"

n. (context fatty acid English) An unsaturated fatty acid ''cis-6-octadecenoic acid'' found in many members of the ''Apiaceae'' family (e.g. parsley seed oil); it is a positional isomer of oleic acid, the double bond being in position 6 instead of 9.

Petroselinic acid is a fatty acid that occurs naturally in several animal and vegetable fats and oils. It is a white powder and is commercially available. In chemical terms, petroselinic acid is classified as a monounsaturated omega-12 fatty acid, abbreviated with a lipid number of 18:1 cis-6. It has the formula CH(CH)CH=CH(CH)COOH. The term "petroselinic" means related to, or derived from, oil of Petroselinum, parsley. Petroselinic acid is an positional isomer of oleic acid.