Purity >98%. Saturated fatty acids are synthesized by both plants and animals from acetyl coenzyme A as a form of long-term energy storage. Palmitic acid is a common 16-carbon saturated fat that represents 10-20% of the normal human dietary fat intake. Palmitic acid also makes up approximately 25% of the total plasma fatty acids in plasma lipoproteins. Saturated free fatty acids induce the expression of cyclooxygenase-2, and after protein acylation, are used to confer lipid anchoring to a variety of signaling molecules.