Palmitoleic acid-rich fatty acid ethyl esters

Name of the ingredient

Palmitoleic acid-rich fatty acid ethyl esters (AIN)

Definition of the ingredient

Ethyl esters of fatty acids obtained by transesterification of the body oil of fish of the families Engraulidae, Carangidae, Clupeidae, Gadidae, Merlucciidae, Osmeridae, Salmonidae and Scombridae or from animals of the class Cephalopoda. The transesterified fatty acids are subjected to subsequent physio-chemical purification processes, including vacuum fractional distillation and urea fractionation.

Contains ethyl esters of palmitoleic acid, minimum 50% w/w. Suitable antioxidants may be added.

Table 1. Ingredient specific requirements

Test	Method reference	Acceptance criteria
Description
Appearance	Visual	Colourless or pale yellow, transparent liquid
Odour	Organoleptic	Slight fish-like odour
Characteristics
Solubility	BP (General notices)	Practically insoluble in water Very soluble in acetone, ethanol, heptane and methanol
Identification
Chromatogram obtained in the assay of palmitoleic acid ethyl ester	AOCS Ce1b-89	The retention time of the principal peak in the chromatogram of the sample corresponds to that of the principal peak in the chromatogram of the palmitoleic acid ethyl ester reference standard.
Assay
Palmitoleic acid ethyl ester	AOCS Ce1b-89	Not less than 50 % w/w
Total identified fatty acid ethyl esters (listed in appendix)	AOCS Ce1b-89	Not less than 90 % w/w (calculated as palmitoleic acid ethyl ester)
Unidentified fatty acid ethyl esters	AOCS Ce1b-89	The area of the largest single unidentified peak is not more than 1.5% of the total area. The total area of unidentified peaks as calculated above is not more than 10 %

Table 2. Incidental constituents

Test	Method reference	Acceptance criteria
Residual solvents
Solvent residues	USP <467>	Complies
Incidental metals and non-metals
While ingredient manufacturers are encouraged to include limits for Incidental metals and non-metals, it is the product into which those substances are formulated that contains the ingredient, alone or in combination with other ingredients, must comply with the acceptance criteria set in the United States Pharmacopeia - National Formulary (USP-NF) general chapter '<2232> Elemental Contaminants in Dietary Supplements'. When testing is performed at the raw material stage, calculation of the total daily exposure in the finished product should be performed. This calculation is based on the quantity of each ingredient present in the product, the maximum potential contamination given the proposed limits for each raw material and the daily dose of the product.
Pesticide residues and environmental contaminants: (including agricultural and veterinary substances)
Pesticide residues	Ph Eur method 2.8.13	Complies
Other organic or inorganic impurities or toxins
Absorbance	Ph Eur method 2.2.25	Not more than 0.60 at 233 nm
Dioxins, furans and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)	USP monograph for 'Fish oil containing Omega-3 acids'	Complies
Acid value	Ph Eur method 2.5.1 (in 20 g of the substance)	Not more than 2.0
Peroxide value	Ph Eur 2.5.5, method A	Not more than 10.0 meq/kg
Anisidine value	Ph Eur method 2.5.36	Not more than 20.0
Oligomers and partial glycerides	Ph Eur method 2.2.30	Not more than 7.0%
Palmitic acid	AOCS Ce1b-89	Not more than 1.0%
Microbiology
While substance manufacturers are encouraged to include limits for objectionable microorganisms, it is the product into which those substances are formulated that is subject to a legally binding set of criteria. The Therapeutic Goods Order No. 77 'Microbiological Standards for Medicines' mandates that any finished product that contains the ingredient, alone or in combination with other ingredients, must comply with the microbial acceptance criteria set by Clause 9 of the Order.

Key to abbreviations

AOCS = American Oil Chemist's Society

BP = British Pharmacopoeia

PCBs = Polychlorinated biphenyls

Ph Eur = European Pharmacopoeia

USP = United States Pharmacopoeia

Appendix

Identified fatty acid ethyl esters

Lauric acid (C12:0, C₁₂H₂₄O₂)

Dodecenoic acid (C12:1, C₁₂H₂₂O₂)

Tridecanoic acid (C13:0, C₁₃H₂₆O₂)

Tridecenoic acid (C13:1, C₁₃H₂₄O₂)

Myristic acid (C14:0, C₁₄H₂₈O₂)

Myristoleic acid (C14:1, C₁₄H₂₆O₂)

Pentadecanoic acid (C15:0, C₁₅H₃₀O₂)

Pentadecenoic acid (C15:1, C₁₅H₂₈O₂)

Palmitic acid (C16:0, C₁₆H₃₂O₂)

Palmitoleic acid (C16:1, C₁₆H₃₀O₂)

Hexadecadienoic acid (C16:2, C₁₆H₂₈O₂)

Hexadecatrienoic acid (C16:3, C₁₆H₂₆O₂)

Hexadecatetraenoic acid (C16:4, C₁₆H₂₄O₂)

Heptadecanoic acid (C17:0, C₁₇H₃₄O₂)

Margaroleic acid (C17:1, C₁₇H₃₂O₂)

Stearic acid (C18:0, C₁₈H₃₆O₂)

Oleic acid (C18:1 cis-9, C₁₈H₃₄O₂)

Vaccenic acid (C18:1 trans-11, C₁₈H₃₄O₂)

Linoleic acid (C18:2, C₁₈H₃₂O₂)

γ-Linolenic acid (C18:3 n-6, C₁₈H₃₀O₂)

C18:3 (n-4) (C₁₈H₃₀O₂)

α-Linolenic acid (C18:3 n-3, C₁₈H₃₀O₂)

Stearidonic acid (C18:4 n-3, C₁₈H₂₈O₂)

C18:4 (n-1) (C₁₈H₂₈O₂)

Nonadecanoic acid (C19:0, C₁₉H₃₈O₂)

10-Nonadecenoic acid (C19:1, C₁₉H₃₆O₂)

10,13-Nonadecadienoic acid (C19:2, C₁₉H₃₄O²)

Arachidic acid (C20:0, C₂₀H₄₀O₂)

11-Eicosenoic acid (C20:1, C₂₀H₃₈O₂)

Homo-γ-linolenic acid (C20:3 ω-6, C₂₀H₃₄O₂)

Eicosatrienoic acid (C20:3 ω-3, C₂₀H₃₄O₂)

Arachidonic acid (C20:4 ω-6, C₂₀H₃₂O₂)

Eicosatetraenoic acid (C20:4 ω-3, C₂₀H₃₂O₂)

Eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5 n-3, C₂₀H₃₀O₂)

Heneicosapentaenoic acid (C21:5, C₂₁H₃₂O₂)

Behenic acid (C22:0, C₂₂H₄₄O₂)

Docosapentaenoic acid (C22:5 n-6, C₂₂H₃₄O₂)

C22:5 (n-3) (C₂₂H₃₄O₂)

Docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6 n-3, C₂₂H₃₂O₂)

Lignoceric Acid (C24:0, C₂₄H₄₈O₂)

Nervonic acid (C24:1 n-9, C₂₄H₄₆O₂)