sodium stearate

Sodium stearate is the sodium salt of stearic acid, a long-chain saturated fatty acid (18:0). It is primarily utilized in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries as an excipient, serving as an emulsifying agent, surfactant, and thickening agent. In pharmaceutical manufacturing, it is commonly used as a lubricant for tablets and capsules and as a stabilizer in emulsions. While not typically used as a primary therapeutic agent, sodium stearate is employed in biomedical research to investigate the effects of saturated fatty acid enrichment on cellular membrane composition and signaling pathways, such as the phosphatidylinositol cycle. It is a major component of many solid soaps and is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by regulatory authorities for use in food and drug products.

Other names

sodium octadecanoateoctadecanoic acid sodium salt