| Description |
Heneicosane, also known as ch3-[ch2]19-ch3, is a member of the class of compounds known as alkanes. Alkanes are acyclic branched or unbranched hydrocarbons having the general formula CnH2n+2 , and therefore consisting entirely of hydrogen atoms and saturated carbon atoms. Thus, heneicosane is considered to be a hydrocarbon lipid molecule. Heneicosane is an alkane and waxy tasting compound and can be found in a number of food items such as orange bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, lemon balm, and pepper (c. annuum), which makes heneicosane a potential biomarker for the consumption of these food products. Heneicosane can be found primarily in saliva. The term higher alkanes is sometimes used literally as "alkanes with a higher number of carbon atoms". One definition distinguishes the higher alkanes as the n-alkanes that are solid under natural conditions . |
