Triheptanoin
Other names: Propane-1,2,3-triyl trisheptanoate, 2,3-di(heptanoyloxy)propylheptanoate, Dojolvi
Harm score: 3 (Harmless chemicals)
Triheptanoin, also known as Propane-1,2,3-triyl trisheptanoate, 2,3-di(heptanoyloxy)propylheptanoate, or Dojolvi, is a chemical that takes the form of a slightly yellow, almost transparent oil. This substance has no specific odor and is composed of three esters of heptanoic acid and propane-1,2,3-triol. Triheptanoin has a fairly wide range of industrial and medical uses.
Triheptanoin is often used in the cosmetics industry. Due to its properties, it allows the production of various products such as creams, lip balms or body fragrance oils, higher quality and longer shelf life. Furthermore, triheptanoin is the main ingredient in the drug Dojolvi. This drug is used for the treatment of long-term diseases such as β-oxidation defect of fatty acids. Fatty acid β-oxidation defect is an inherited disease that causes problems converting certain fats into energy and can also lead to liver, muscle, and heart damage. The drug Dojolvi uses the properties of triheptanoin to help the body manage this lack of ability to process fats. Triheptanoin is also a sought-after ingredient in the pharmaceutical industry, where it is used as an excipient, an excipient that does not affect the therapeutic effect of the drug but improves its properties, such as stabilizing the active ingredient.