Absorption, Distribution and Excretion
Fatty acids originating from adipose tissue stores are either bound to serum albumin or remain unesterified in the blood.
Oleic, palmitic, myristic, and stearic Acids are primarily transported via the lymphatic system, and lauric Acid is transported by the lymphatic and (as a free fatty acid) portal systems.
Proposed mechanisms for fatty acid uptake by different tissues range from passive diffusion to facilitated diffusion or a combination of both. Fatty acids taken up by the tissues can either be stored in the form of triglycerides (98% of which occurs in adipose tissue depots) or they can be oxidized for energy via the beta-oxidation and tricarboxylic acid cycle pathways of catabolism.

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Metabolism / Metabolites
Various hypolipidemic agents differentially induced microsomal drug-metabolizing enzymes. Clofibrate, clofibric acid, fenofibric acid and dulofibrate, which are mainly hypotriglyceridemic, increased the content in cytochromes p450 (77-185% over control), and especially cytochrome p452-dependent lauric acid 12-hydroxylation (5.6 to 8.4-fold increase). Bilirubin glucuronidation was 2.1 to 2.8-fold stimulated; epoxide hydrolase activity (benzo(a)pyrene-oxide) was only slightly increased by the drugs. By contrast, F1379, which lowers plasma cholesterol only, did not change cytochromes p450 content and slightly affected the 12-hydroxylation of lauric acid. It dramatically enhanced the epoxide hydrolase activity (7.6-fold), and increased (200%) the glucuronidation of planar group I substrates (4-nitrophenol, 4-methylumbelliferone, 1-naphthol). These effects were accompanied by a highly positive staining of gamma-glutamyltransferase in the liver characterized by a great number of intensively colored foci in the periportal and perilobular area of the tissue. Treatment of rats for three weeks with F1379 did not modify this typical profile in enzyme induction. Such continuous effect could reveal some biochemical changes of hepatocytes with important toxicological relevance. Compared to the parent compound, treatment of rats with two metabolites of F1379 led to a decrease in the induction potency on epoxide hydrolase and on the forms of UDP-glucuronosyltransferase; by contrast, the content in cytochromes p450 was increased.
Omega-oxidation of fatty acids was assessed in rats. Aspirin increased liver free fatty acids and increased the capacity for omega-oxidation three to sevenfold. Omega-oxidation of long chain substrate was stimulated to a greater degree than medium chain substrate and was apparent within one day of treatment, at serum aspirin concentrations below the therapeutic range in humans. The apparent Km for lauric acid was 0.9 mM and 12 mM for palmitate. Ninety seven of the total laurate omega-oxidative activity recovered was found in the microsomes, but 32% of palmitate omega-oxidative activity was present in the cytosol. Aspirin is a potent stimulator of omega-oxidation. There may be multiple enzymes for omega-oxidation with overlapping substrate specificity.
... CYP6A8 was produced in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and enzymatically characterized after catalytic activity was reconstituted with D. melanogaster P450 reductase and NADPH. Although several saturated or non-saturated fatty acids were not metabolized by CYP6A8, lauric acid (C12:0), a short-chain unsaturated fatty acid, was oxidized by CYP6A8 to produce 11-hydroxylauric acid with an apparent V(max) of 25 nmol/min/nmol P450. This is the first report showing that a member of the CYP6 family catalyzes the hydroxylation of lauric acid. ...
Lauric acid has known human metabolites that include 12-Hydroxylauric acid.

Interactions
...the effect of lauric acid on transdermal penetration of phenazepam /was studied/ in vivo. It was found that treatment with lauric acid 3-fold increased the maximum anticonvulsive effect of phenazepam applied in a transdermal therapeutic system in comparison with the control. Study of the pharmacokinetics of phenazepam transdermal therapeutic system showed its higher bioavailability in the presence of lauric acid (f=0.9).
The effect of two fatty acids, oleic acid and lauric acid (dodecanoic acid), on the transport of the cationic drug naphazoline, neutral caffeine, and anionic sodium salicylate, across excised human skin was studied using Franz diffusion cells. Both acids increased the in vitro skin permeation of all penetrants. Oil/water partitioning data and rotating diffusion cell measurements, in the presence of the fatty acids, suggested that the enhanced flux of the cationic naphazoline could be accounted for by an increase in lipophilicity through ion pairing with the carboxylate anion of the acid. Both neutral caffeine and sodium salicylate were incapable of forming ion pairs; consequently, increases in skin permeability are also due to a disruption of the stratum corneum. This conclusion was further supported by increased transepidermal water loss, and increased in vivo skin permeation of the non ion-pairing methyl nicotinate at skin sites treated with the fatty acids.
The transdermal absorption of bupranolol was studied in vitro using a model membrane and human skin samples; the effects of oleic acid and dodecanoic acid (lauric acid) on bupranololabsorption were also evaluated. Bupranolol diffused through skin samples rapidly. The transfer of bupranolol across the model membrane was enhanced in the presence of oleic acid and dodecanoic acid. They did not, however, significantly enhance the transfer across human skin samples.
Cytochromes P450IVA1 and IVA3 display 72% amino acid sequence similarity and are expressed in livers of rats treated with the hypolipidemic drug clofibrate. The catalytic activities of IVA1 and IVA3 were examined by cDNA-directed expression using vaccinia virus. cDNA-expressed IVA1 and IVA3 had relative Mrs of 51,500 and 52,000, respectively, on SDS-polyacrylamide gels. Both enzymes displayed reduced, CO-bound absorption spectra with lambda max of 452.5 nm. IVA1 and IVA3 hydroxylated lauric acid at the omega and omega-1 positions with equivalent omega/omega-1 ratios of about 12.5. IVA1 had a substrate turnover of 21/min which was about fourfold higher than that of IVA3. The omega and omega-1 hydroxylation of palmitic acid was also catalyzed by these P450s with combined turnover numbers for both metabolites of 45/min or 18/min for IVA1 and IVA3, respectively. The omega/omega-1 oxidation ratio of IVA1 for palmitate was 1.25 which was almost fourfold higher than that obtained for IVA3. These enzymes also catalyzed omega oxidation of the physiologically important eicosanoids prostaglandins E1 and F2 alpha with turnover numbers of about one-tenth those calculated for fatty acid oxidations. No omega-1 hydroxy metabolites were produced. These studies indicate that the P450 enzymes IVA1 and IVA3 are able to catalyze the oxidations of both fatty acids and prostaglandins.
The influence of ciprofibrate, a potent oxyisobutyrate derivative, on several hepatic enzyme parameters was studied in five rat strains following a 14 day treatment period. Ciprofibrate dependent hepatomegaly was observed at two dose levels (2 and 20 mg/kg) in all rat strains examined. A 10 to 15-fold induction in the 12-hydroxylation of lauric acid with a less marked 1.5 to 5-fold induction of 11-hydroxylation was observed in treated animals. This dose-dependent increase in fatty acid hydroxylase activity was associated with a maximal 10-fold increase in the specific content of cytochrome p-450 IVA1 isoenzyme apoprotein, as assessed immunochemically using an ELISA technique. The activities of the cytochrome p-450 I (IA1 and IA2) and II (IIB1 and IIB2) families, as measured by ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase and benzphetamine-N-demethylase activities respectively, were decreased on treatment. In the mitochondria, monoamine oxidase activity was significantly decreased at the higher dose level whereas alpha-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase activity was elevated. Total carnitine acetyltransferase activity (mitochondrial and peroxisomal) and peroxisomal beta-oxidation were markedly increased at both dose levels in all strains examined. Cytosolic glutathione peroxidase activity, measured using both t-butylhydroperoxide and hydrogen peroxide as substrates, was decreased on treatment to approximately 50% of the control value. In treated animals, a marked increase in mRNA levels coding for cytochrome p-450 IVA1 and the peroxisomal bifunctional protein of the fatty acid beta-oxidation spiral was observed. However, mRNA levels coding for glutathione peroxidase appeared unchanged following ciprofibrate administration, in contrast to the above-noted decrease of glutathione peroxidase enzyme activity. Taken collectively, our results have further substantiated a close association between the induction of microsomal cytochrome p-450 IVA1, peroxisomal beta-oxidation and total carnitine acetyltransferase activity in rat liver, and have performed a conceptual basis for the rationalization of the chronic toxicity of peroxisome proliferators in this species.

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Non-Human Toxicity Values
LD50 Mouse iv 131 mg/kg
LD50 Rat oral 12,000 mg/kg

[1]. Antimicrobial property of lauric acid against Propionibacterium acnes: its therapeutic potential for inflammatory acne vulgaris. J Invest Dermatol. 2009 Oct;129(10):2480-8.

[2]. Lauric acid alleviates insulin resistance by improving mitochondrial biogenesis in THP-1 macrophages. Mol Biol Rep. 2020 Dec;47(12):9595-9607.

[3]. Acute Treatment with Lauric Acid Reduces Blood Pressure and Oxidative Stress in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats. Basic Clin Pharmacol Toxicol. 2017 Apr;120(4):348-353.

Therapeutic Uses
Gly-Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser (GRGDS) was modified by conjugation to lauric acid (LA) to facilitate incorporation into the matrix of a poly(carbonate-urea)urethane (PCU) used in vascular bypass grafts. GRGDS and LA-GRGDS were synthesized using solid phase Fmoc chemistry and characterized by high performance liquid chromatography and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. LA-GRGDS was passively coated and incorporated as nanoparticle dispersion on the PCU films. Biocompatibility of the modified surfaces was investigated. Endothelial cells seeded on LA-GRGDS coated and incorporated PCU showed after 48 h and 72 hr a significant (p < 0.05) increase in metabolism compared with unmodified PCU. The platelet adhesion and hemolysis studies showed that the modification of PCU had no adverse effect. In conclusion, LA-conjugated RGD derivatives, such as LA-GRGDS, that permit solubility into solvents used in solvent casting methodologies should have wide applicability in polymer development for use in coronary, vascular, and dialysis bypass grafts, and furthermore scaffolds utilized for tissue regeneration and tissue engineering.
The objective of this study was to investigate the in vitro activities of lauric acid and myristylamine in combination with six antimicrobial agents against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The combination effect of lipids and antimicrobial agents was evaluated by the checkerboard method to obtain a fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) index. The effects of lauric acid + gentamicin (GM) and lauric acid + imipenem (IPM) combinations were synergistic against the clinical isolates in 12 combinations. An antagonistic FIC index was observed only with the myristylamine + GM combination. We investigated in detail the antimicrobial activity for two combinations that showed a synergistic effect. The cytotoxicity of lauric acid was not enhanced by the addition of GM and IPM. In time-kill studies, lauric acid + GM and lauric acid + IPM combinations at one-eighth of the minimum inhibitory concentration produced a bacteriostatic effect.
/VETERINARY ANIMALS/ Staphylococcus aureus causes a variety of human infections including toxic shock syndrome, osteomyelitis, and mastitis. Mastitis is a common disease in the dairy cow, and S. aureus has been found to be a major infectious organism causing mastitis. The objectives of this research were to determine which FA and esterified forms of FA were inhibitory to growth of S. aureus bacteria. FA as well as their mono-, di-, and triacylglycerol forms were tested for their ability to inhibit a human toxic shock syndrome clinical isolate (MN8) and two S. aureus clinical bovine mastitis isolates (305 and Novel). The seven most potent inhibitors across all strains tested by minimum inhibitory concentration analysis included lauric acid, glycerol monolaurate, capric acid, myristic acid, linoleic acid, cis-9, trans-11 conjugated linoleic acid, and trans-10, cis-12 conjugated linoleic acid. Some of these lipids were chosen for 48-hr growth curve analysis with a bovine mastitis S. aureus isolate (Novel) at doses of 0, 20, 50, and 100 microg/mL except myristic acid, which was tested at 0, 50, 100, and 200 microg/mL. The saturated FA (lauric, capric, myristic) and glycerol monolaurate behaved similarly and reduced overall growth. In contrast, the polyunsaturated FA (linoleic and cis-9, trans-11 conjugated linoleic acid) delayed the time to initiation of exponential growth in a dose-dependent fashion. The results suggest that lipids may be important in the control of S. aureus during an infection.

C12H24O2

200.322

200.177

143-07-7

Lauric acid-d23;59154-43-7;Lauric acid-d3;79050-22-9;Lauric acid-13C;93639-08-8;Lauric acid-d2;64118-39-4;Lauric acid-13C-1;287100-78-1;Lauric acid-d5;1219804-38-2

3893

White to off-white solid powder

0.9±0.1 g/cm3

296.1±3.0 °C at 760 mmHg

44-46 °C(lit.)

134.1±11.9 °C

0.0±0.7 mmHg at 25°C

1.448

5.03

1

2

10

14

132

0

O([H])C(C([H])([H])C([H])([H])C([H])([H])C([H])([H])C([H])([H])C([H])([H])C([H])([H])C([H])([H])C([H])([H])C([H])([H])C([H])([H])[H])=O

POULHZVOKOAJMA-UHFFFAOYSA-N

InChI=1S/C12H24O2/c1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12(13)14/h2-11H2,1H3,(H,13,14)

dodecanoic acid

Vulvic acid Lauric acid Dodecanoic Acid

2934.99.9001

Powder      -20°C    3 years

                     4°C     2 years

In solvent   -80°C    6 months

                  -20°C    1 month

Note: This product requires protection from light (avoid light exposure) during transportation and storage.

Room temperature (This product is stable at ambient temperature for a few days during ordinary shipping and time spent in Customs)

DMSO : ~100 mg/mL (~499.20 mM)
0.1 M NaOH : ~10 mg/mL (~49.92 mM)

Solubility in Formulation 1: ≥ 2.08 mg/mL (10.38 mM) (saturation unknown) in 10% DMSO + 90% (20% SBE-β-CD in Saline) (add these co-solvents sequentially from left to right, and one by one), clear solution.
For example, if 1 mL of working solution is to be prepared, you can add 100 μL of 20.8 mg/mL clear DMSO stock solution to 900 μL of 20% SBE-β-CD physiological saline solution and mix evenly.
Preparation of 20% SBE-β-CD in Saline (4°C，1 week): Dissolve 2 g SBE-β-CD in 10 mL saline to obtain a clear solution.

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Solubility in Formulation 2: ≥ 2.08 mg/mL (10.38 mM) (saturation unknown) in 10% DMSO + 90% Corn Oil (add these co-solvents sequentially from left to right, and one by one), clear solution.
For example, if 1 mL of working solution is to be prepared, you can add 100 μL of 20.8 mg/mL clear DMSO stock solution to 900 μL of corn oil and mix evenly.

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 (Please use freshly prepared in vivo formulations for optimal results.)