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caproic acid; hexanoic acid


Name(s) caproic acid; hexanoic acid
Scientific name(s) α-hexanoic acid
Formula C6H12O2
Molecular mass 116.16
IUPAC name hexanoic acid
INCHI InChI=1S/C6H12O2/c1-2-3-4-5-6(7)8/h2-5H2,1H3,(H,7,8)
SMILE CCCCCC(O)=O
CAS ID 142-62-1
PubChem ID 8892
DrugBank ID Not available
CHEBI ID 30776
Description Present in apple, wine grapes, butter, licorice and cheeses, e.g. blue cheeses, Cheddar cheese, Swiss cheese, feta cheese, gruyere de comte cheese, etcand is) also present in a few essential oils and fruital aromas. Secondary product of butyric acid fermentation. Flavouring ingredient_x000D_ _x000D_ Hexanoic acid (common name caproic acid), is the carboxylic acid derived from hexane with the general formula C5H11COOH. It is a colorless oily liquid with an odor reminiscent of goats or other barnyard animals. It is a fatty acid found naturally in various animal fats and oils, and is one of the chemicals that gives the decomposing fleshy seed coat of the ginkgo its characteristic unpleasant odor. Hexanoic acid is found in many foods, some of which are tapioca pearl, meat bouillon, pecan nut, and oval-leaf huckleberry.