Behenic Acid (BA)

Behenic acid is a normal carboxylic acid, the saturated fatty acid with formula C21H43COOH. In appearance, it consists of white to cream color crystals or powder with a melting point of 80 °C and boiling point of 306 °C. At 9%, it is a major component of Ben oil (or behen oil), which is extracted from the seeds of the Ben-oil tree (Moringa oleifera). It is so named from the Persian month Bahman, when the roots of this tree were harvested. Behenic acid is also present in some other oils and oil-bearing plants, including rapeseed (canola) and peanut oil and skins. It is estimated that one ton of peanut skins contains 13 pounds (5.9 kg) of behenic acid. As a dietary oil, behenic acid is poorly absorbed. In spite of its low bioavailability compared with oleic acid, behenic acid is a cholesterol-raising saturated fatty acid in humans.