valeric acid valeric acid valeric acid or pentanoic acid is a straight-chain alkyl carboxylic acid with the chemical formula ch3(ch2)3cooh. like other low-molecular-weight carboxylic acids, it has an unpleasant odor. it is found in the perennial flowering plant valeriana officinalis, from which it gets its name. its primary use is in the synthesis of its esters. salts and esters of valeric acid are known as valerates or pentanoates. volatile esters of valeric acid tend to have pleasant odors and are used in perfumes and cosmetics. several, including ethyl valerate and pentyl valerate are used as food additives because of their fruity flavors. not to be confused with valerenic acid. valeric acid names iupac name pentanoic acid other names 1-butanecarboxylic acidpropylacetic acidc5:0 (lipid numbers) identifiers cas number valeric acid: 109-52-4 yvalerate: 10023-74-2 3d model (jsmol) valeric acid: interactive image chebi valeric acid: chebi:17418valerate: chebi:31011 chembl valeric acid: chembl268736 y chemspider valeric acid: 7701 yvalerate: 102757 echa infocard 100.003.344 ec number valeric acid: 203-677-2 iuphar/bps valeric acid: 1061 pubchem cid valeric acid: 7991valerate: 114781 rtecs number valeric acid: yv6100000 unii valeric acid: gzk92pjm7b y comptox dashboard (epa) valeric acid: dtxsid7021655 inchi inchi=1s/c5h10o2/c1-2-3-4-5(6)7/h2-4h2,1h3,(h,6,7) ykey: nqpdzgikbawpej-uhfffaoysa-n yvaleric acid: inchi=1/c5h10o2/c1-2-3-4-5(6)7/h2-4h2,1h3,(h,6,7)key: nqpdzgikbawpej-uhfffaoyau smiles valeric acid: ccccc(o)=o properties chemical formula c5h10o2 molar mass 102.133 g·mol−1 appearance colorless liquid density 0.930 g/cm3 melting point −34.5 °c (−30.1 °f; 238.7 k) boiling point 185 °c (365 °f; 458 k) solubility in water 4.97 g/100 ml acidity (pka) 4.82 magnetic susceptibility (χ) -66.85·10−6 cm3/mol hazards ghs labelling: pictograms signal word danger hazard statements h314, h412 precautionary statements p273, p280, p303+p361+p353, p305+p351+p338+p310 nfpa 704 (fire diamond) 3 1 0 flash point 86 °c (187 °f; 359 k) related compounds related compounds butyric acid, hexanoic acid except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °c , 100 kpa). infobox references history valeric acid is a minor constituent of the perennial flowering plant valerian (valeriana officinalis), from which it gets its name. the dried root of this plant has been used medicinally since antiquity. the related isovaleric acid shares its unpleasant odor and their chemical identity was investigated by oxidation of the components of fusel alcohol, which includes the five-carbon amyl alcohols. valeric acid is one volatile component in swine manure. other components include other carboxylic acids, skatole, trimethyl amine, and isovaleric acid. it is also a flavor component in some foods. manufacture in industry, valeric acid is produced by the oxo process from 1-butene and syngas, forming valeraldehyde, which is oxidised to the final product. h2 + co + ch3ch2ch=ch2 → ch3ch2ch2ch2cho → valeric acid it can also be produced from biomass-derived sugars via levulinic acid and this alternative has received considerable attention as a way to produce biofuels. reactions valeric acid reacts as a typical carboxylic acid: it can form amide, ester, anhydride, and chloride derivatives. the latter, valeryl chloride is commonly used as the intermediate to obtain the others. uses valeric acid occurs naturally in some foods but is also used as a food additive. its safety in this application was reviewed by an fao and who panel, who concluded that there were no safety concerns at the likely levels of intake. the compound is used for the preparation of derivatives, notably its volatile esters which, unlike the parent acid, have pleasant odors and fruity flavors and hence find applications in perfumes, cosmetics and foodstuffs. typical examples are the methyl valerates, ethyl valerates, and pentyl valerates. biology in humans, valeric acid is a minor product of the gut microbiome and can also be produced by metabolism of its esters found in food. the restoration of levels of this acid in the gut has been suggested as the mechanism that results in control of clostridioides difficile infection after fecal microbiota transplant. valerate salts and esters the valerate, or pentanoate, ion is c4h9coo−, the conjugate base of valeric acid. it is the form found in biological systems at physiological ph. a valerate, or pentanoate, compound is a carboxylate salt or ester of valeric acid. many steroid-based pharmaceuticals, for example ones based on betamethasone or hydrocortisone, include the steroid as the valerate ester. examples methyl valerate ethyl valerate pentyl valerate betamethasone valerate estradiol valerate hydrocortisone valerate testosterone valerate