Additive Ethyl oleate is used by compounding pharmacies as a vehicle for intramuscular drug delivery, in some cases to prepare the daily doses of
progesterone in support of pregnancy. Studies that document the safe use of ethyl oleate in pregnancy for both the mother and the fetus have never been performed. It is regulated as a food additive in the U.S. by the
Food and Drug Administration. Ethyl oleate is used as a solvent for pharmaceutical drug preparations involving
lipophilic substances such as
steroids.
Chemistry It also finds use as a lubricant and a
plasticizer.
Louis Bouveault used ethyl oleate to demonstrate
Bouveault–Blanc reduction, producing
oleyl alcohol and
ethanol, a method which was subsequently refined and published in
Organic Syntheses.
Occurrence Ethyl oleate has been identified as a primer
pheromone in
honeybees.
Precursor to other chemicals By the process of
ethenolysis, the
methyl ester of oleic acid, converts to
1-decene and methyl 9-
decenoate: :
CH2=CH2 → CH3(CH2)7CH=
CH2 + MeO2C(CH2)7CH=
CH2 Medical aspects Ethyl oleate is produced by the body during ethanol intoxication. It is one of the
fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE) produced after ingestion of ethanol. Some research literature implicates FAEEs such as ethyl oleate as the toxic mediators of ethanol in the body (pancreas, liver, heart, and brain). Ethyl oleate may be the toxic mediator of alcohol in
fetal alcohol syndrome. ==See also==