IngredientsOctyl Glycerate — as encountered in the dietary supplement, food additive, and functional ingredient literature — most commonly refers to the mixture commercially designated as Octyl and Decyl Glycerate (ODG, ODO). It is listed under the ingredient name "Octyl & Decyl Glycerate," with the chemical name Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, CAS number 73398-61-5, and INCI name Caprylic/Capric Glycerides. It is also assigned the separate CAS number 26402-26-6 and molecular formula C₂₁H₄₀O₅ in some registry listings, with synonyms including ODO and Decanoyl- and Octanoyl Glycerides.
Octyl and decyl glycerate (ODG) is classified as a medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) — specifically, the glycerol derivative of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs, C8–C12). As an MCT, it is hydrolyzed and absorbed more simply than long-chain triglyceride (LCT) because it does not require bile or pancreatic juice to participate in hydrolysis in the intestinal cavity. The two constituent fatty acids are octanoic acid (caprylic acid, C8:0) and decanoic acid (capric acid, C10:0), esterified onto a glycerol backbone.
Medium-chain triglycerides as a class are composed mainly of caprylic (C8; 50–80%) and capric fatty acids (C10; 20–50%), with minor contributions of caproic (C6; 1–2%) and lauric (C12; 1–2%) fatty acids.
Octyl and Decyl Glycerate (ODO) is a colorless, odorless, transparent, and low-viscosity liquid that is easily mixed with ethanol, isopropanol, chloroform, glycerol, and other solvents. It exhibits good oxidation resistance, is miscible with various solvents, greases, oxidants, and vitamins, and its emulsifiability, extensibility, and lubricity are superior to those of ordinary grease. Its viscosity has been reported to remain stable after prolonged cooking or frying, and it is resistant to oxidation.
There are limited natural sources that contain medium-chain triglycerides, which include coconut oil, palm kernel oil, and bovine milk. These medium-chain saturated fatty acids are mainly found in tropical vegetable fats such as coconut fat (approximately 60%) and palm kernel oil (approximately 55%), and in butter, with a small extent also found in milk fat (approximately 10%).
Octyl and Decyl Glycerate specifically is also derived from a third botanical source: Litsea cubeba. ODG is an MCT derived primarily from the hydrolysis and fractionation of coconut oil, palm kernel oil, and litsea cubeba oil to produce octanoic acid (C8:0) and decanoic acid (C10:0), which are then esterified with glycerol in the presence of a catalyst.
Litsea cubeba (Lour.) Pers. is a plant of the Lauraceae family whose seed oil is a notable source of medium-chain fatty acids. The composition of acylglycerols and fatty acids in L. cubeba fruit, kernel, and peel oils has been investigated, and compared to virgin coconut oils, L. cubeba kernel oils have a more balanced fatty acid composition with a high lauric acid level, making it a promising lauric oil resource.
With coconut oil, palm kernel oil, and Litsea cubeba seed oil as raw materials, octanoic acid and capric acid are obtained by hydrolysis, fractionation, and cutting, then esterified with glycerol, and then decarboxylated, dehydrated, and decolorized. MCT oil is obtained through fractionation, which separates caprylic and capric acid from other fats in coconut or palm oil; these isolated MCTs are then used to create triglycerides through lipase esterification, a chemical process involving the enzyme lipase. The oil then undergoes subsequent steps including filtration, deacidification, bleaching, and deodorizing, after which the resulting MCT oil is considered suitable for consumption.
Octyl and Decyl Glycerate is encountered in the following commercial and applied forms:
Octyl and Decyl Glycerate, as a specifically named and manufactured compound, does not have an ancient or ethnomedical history of use. It is a modern industrial product derived from naturally occurring medium-chain fatty acids. Its history belongs to the broader clinical and nutritional history of medium-chain triglycerides.
MCTs were first introduced into the clinical arena approximately 50 years ago; their original use was as a substitute for long-chain triglycerides (LCT) in the treatment of disorders of lipid absorption. Since that time, MCTs have been utilized in an increasing number of food and nutrition applications because they have been found to offer a number of advantages over LCTs; they are also used primarily as emulsifiers, in various human and veterinary pharmaceutical preparations, and in cosmetics.
MCTs are used along with usual medications for treating food absorption disorders including diarrhea, steatorrhea (fat indigestion), celiac disease, liver disease, and digestion problems due to partial surgical removal of the stomach (gastrectomy) or the intestine (short bowel syndrome). MCTs are also used for "milky urine" (chyluria) and a rare lung condition called chylothorax. Other uses include treatment of gallbladder disease, AIDS, cystic fibrosis, Alzheimer's disease, and seizures in children.
The MCT ketogenic diet (MCTKD) was first introduced by Huttenlocher in 1971; in MCTKD, medium-chain triglycerides serve as the predominant source for ketone production, and this approach does not require caloric restriction while allowing a higher carbohydrate intake of up to 20%.
The natural precursor oils — coconut oil and palm kernel oil — have extensive histories in tropical culinary and medicinal traditions, particularly in South and Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, where they served as dietary fats and topical agents. Litsea cubeba, the third source plant, has been used in traditional Chinese and Southeast Asian practices both as a spice and in folk medicine. However, these traditional applications concerned the whole oils, not the isolated and esterified ODG compound specifically.
Octyl and Decyl Glycerate consists of glycerol esterified with octanoic acid (C8:0, caprylic acid) and decanoic acid (C10:0, capric acid). The MCFA category includes caprylic acid (C8:0), capric acid (C10:0), and lauric acid (C12:0). Upon ingestion, ODG is hydrolyzed in the gastrointestinal tract to release these free fatty acids, which then exert their metabolic effects.
The distinguishing biochemical feature of ODG relative to long-chain triglycerides is its digestion and absorption pathway:
The primary peer-reviewed study directly examining ODG specifically — as opposed to MCTs generally — was published in Food & Function (Royal Society of Chemistry) in January 2023 by Zhang et al. of Zhejiang University. This was an animal study using C57BL/6 mice; no human clinical trials of ODG as a distinct compound have been published.
Experiment 1 (Normal-chow diet): Under a normal-chow diet, mice were treated with or without different dosages of ODG (150, 800, and 1,600 mg kg⁻¹) for 22 weeks. All doses of ODG significantly decreased the ratio of HDL to LDL cholesterol, improved inflammation and insulin resistance, and increased the α-diversity of the gut microbiota and the abundance of Bifidobacterium and Turicibacter.
Experiment 2 (High-fat diet): Under a high-fat diet, mice were treated with or without 1,600 mg kg⁻¹ ODG for 16 weeks. The results demonstrated that ODG significantly alleviated the increase in the ratio of HDL to LDL cholesterol, insulin resistance, and inflammation caused by HFD. ODG also altered the composition of the gut microbiota and increased Bifidobacterium abundance under HFD. Findings indicated that ODG similarly improved glucose metabolism and inflammation but exhibited differential effects on lipid metabolism under different dietary patterns.
Gut microbiota contribution: Changes in the gut microbiota caused by ODG supplementation might contribute to the alteration in glucose and lipid metabolism and inflammation, which might be influenced by dietary patterns.
Evidence strength: Preliminary; animal (rodent) data only. No randomized controlled trials or observational human studies of ODG specifically for these outcomes have been published as of the available literature.
For ODG itself, evidence is again limited to the Zhang et al. (2023) rodent study. For the broader MCT class (including C8:0 and C10:0, the components of ODG), human RCT data are available:
A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials compared the effects of MCTs (specifically C8:0 and C10:0) to long-chain triglycerides on weight loss and body composition in adults; results from human intervention studies investigating the weight-reducing potential of MCTs have been mixed.
Medium-chain triglycerides promote energy expenditure, weight loss, and lipid catabolism by improving gut microbial equilibrium and gut barrier integrity.
Evidence strength: For the MCT class broadly: moderate but mixed; multiple RCTs exist, but results on weight loss and lipid parameters are inconsistent. For ODG specifically: preclinical only.
Dietary medium-chain triglycerides (MCT), previously found to promote lipid catabolism, energy expenditure, and weight loss, can ameliorate metabolic health via their capacity to improve both intestinal ecosystem and permeability.
MCT-enriched diets could therefore be used to manage metabolic diseases through modification of gut microbiota.
In the ODG-specific Zhang et al. study, both normal-diet and high-fat-diet supplementation regimens increased the relative abundance of Bifidobacterium, a genus widely associated with gut health. The normal-diet arm additionally increased Turicibacter abundance and α-diversity, a marker of gut ecosystem richness.
In piglet studies of MCT supplementation more broadly, MCT-fed piglets had better gastrointestinal health, with improved intestinal apoptotic index and mucosal turnover, and lowered intraepithelial lymphocyte infiltration (reflecting reduced local inflammation and diminished immune response) compared to controls; furthermore, MCT supplements display a marked modulation of microbial gastric and intestinal populations, contributing to a decrease in intestinal inflammation and to an improvement of gut health and integrity.
Evidence strength: For ODG specifically: preclinical only (rodent). For MCTs as a class: low to moderate; supported by multiple animal studies and early mechanistic human data, but dedicated RCTs examining gut microbiota endpoints remain limited.
No studies of ODG itself have investigated cognitive outcomes. The evidence base concerns MCTs generally:
In a meta-analysis, MCTs were demonstrated to induce mild ketosis and may improve cognition in patients with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease; however, risk of bias of existing studies necessitates future trials.
MCTs are ketogenic and might reduce adverse effects of keto-induction and improve time to ketosis and tolerability of very low carbohydrate diets. In a trial of 28 healthy adults prescribed a ketogenic diet and randomized to receive either 30 ml of MCT or sunflower oil three times per day for 20 days, MCT supplementation was evaluated for time to nutritional ketosis, mood, and keto-induction symptoms. MCT resulted in higher beta-hydroxybutyrate (BOHB) at all time points and faster time to nutritional ketosis, a result that failed to reach statistical significance; symptoms of keto-induction resulted from both diets, with a greater magnitude in the control group, except for abdominal pain, which occurred with greater frequency and severity in the MCT-supplemented diet.
Evidence strength: For cognitive/neurological use of the MCT class: preliminary to moderate; systematic reviews and meta-analyses exist, but underlying RCTs are small in size and have methodological limitations. No ODG-specific human data are available.
The MCT ketogenic diet (MCTKD) was first introduced by Huttenlocher in 1971; in MCTKD, medium-chain triglycerides serve as the predominant source for ketone production, and this approach does not require caloric restriction while allowing a higher carbohydrate intake of up to 20%. It has been shown that MCTKD has similar efficacy to the classic ketogenic diet.
In a multi-age study of 123 patients (aged 2.5 to 65 years) on modified MCTKD, response rates at 1, 3, and 6 months were 49.6%, 43.1%, and 30.9%, respectively, and seizure freedom rates at the same intervals were 12.2%, 10.6%, and 6.5%.
Evidence strength: For the MCT ketogenic diet in epilepsy: moderate; an established dietary intervention with clinical evidence, though retention rates decline over time. No ODG-specific data.
MCTs were first introduced into the clinical arena approximately 50 years ago; their original use was as a substitute for long-chain triglycerides in the treatment of disorders of lipid absorption. MCTs are sometimes used as a source of fat in total parenteral nutrition (TPN), which delivers all food intravenously and is necessary in people whose gastrointestinal tract is no longer working.
Evidence strength: Well-established clinical use for the MCT class in malabsorptive conditions over several decades. No ODG-specific clinical trial data.
Athletes sometimes use MCTs for nutritional support during training, as well as for decreasing body fat and increasing lean muscle mass. The effective dosage reported for improving muscle strength and function in adults with or at risk of sarcopenia and frailty is 6 grams per day of octanoic acid and decanoic acid (total) by mouth for 12 weeks.
Evidence strength: Weak to preliminary for exercise performance. Data on muscle and sarcopenia are from very few studies with no dose-response clarity.
ODG can be used without restriction in emulsifying essences, beverages, ice cream, milk powder, candy, and chocolate in accordance with manufacturing needs and the Hygienic Standards for the Use of Food Additives in China. It is listed as a permitted emulsifier under China's National Health Commission (NHC) food additive regulations.
Due to their numerous health benefits, MCTs are used as a functional or nutraceutical oil in various food and pharmaceutical formulations. Caprylic/capric triglycerides — the category encompassing ODG — are broadly recognized as food-grade ingredients in multiple regulatory frameworks globally, including applications in pharmaceutical excipients and cosmetic formulations.
The following dosages are reported directly from the available sources and are provided for informational completeness only as observed in preclinical or clinical contexts:
No human-specific dosage for ODG as a distinct compound has been established in peer-reviewed literature as of the available data.
Medium-chain triglycerides are generally considered to be safe and well-tolerated; gastrointestinal complaints — diarrhea in particular — are the most commonly reported adverse effects, and diarrhea seems to worsen as doses exceed 20 grams.
Gastrointestinal symptoms may worsen with increasing doses (diarrhea: 20+ grams; abdominal cramping: 50+ grams).
MCTs can cause diarrhea, vomiting, irritability, nausea, stomach discomfort, and intestinal gas. Taking MCTs with food might reduce some side effects.
In the context of the MCT ketogenic diet in epilepsy: Classic MCTKD, in which MCTs account for 60% of overall energy provision, is frequently associated with gastrointestinal side effects including diarrhea, vomiting, bloating, and cramps.
In the Alzheimer's disease trial context: Side effects included diarrhea (50%), and in a larger study of 86 AD participants randomized to receive a proprietary MCT powder/emulsifier blend, GI events were reported in 49% of the MCT group, including diarrhea in 24%, versus GI events in 27% of the placebo group, with diarrhea in 14%. The GI side effects in the MCT group were reduced substantially after changing the dosing vehicle from water, milk, or juice to a meal replacement drink.
Because MCTs are processed primarily by the liver, they can cause serious problems in people with liver disease. MCTs should not be used by those with cirrhosis or other liver problems.
MCTs can cause certain chemicals called ketones to build up in the body; this can be a problem for people with diabetes. Those with diabetes should avoid using MCTs.
Caution is warranted with supplementation during lactation because there is little safety data, although harm seems unlikely. Research on the safety of supplementation during pregnancy is lacking, and avoidance may be warranted because of the potential risks associated with elevated ketone levels during pregnancy.
Reported lipid profile effects of MCTs are variable, ranging from no effect to an increase in lipoprotein levels, with variation possibly due to either the population studied or the dose administered. No statistically significant effect was found at a dose of 1.5–3 tablespoons per day in a cohort of 15 AD participants at 3 months, whereas in a study of 18 healthy volunteers, an 11% increase in total cholesterol and 12% increase in LDL cholesterol was found at a dose of 70 g (65 mL, about 4.3 tablespoons) at 21 days.
In animal studies, MCTs have shown a very low risk of toxicity related to reproduction, organ health, immune function, and cancer.
There are no established drug interactions with medium-chain triglycerides. This applies to MCTs as a class; ODG-specific interaction data are not available in the published literature.
Research specifically targeting Octyl and Decyl Glycerate (ODG) as a distinct named compound is sparse. The sole peer-reviewed study focused on ODG by name (Zhang et al., 2023, Food & Function) is a preclinical rodent study. All human clinical evidence is extrapolated from the broader literature on medium-chain triglycerides as a class — particularly C8:0 and C10:0 fatty acids — which are the bioactive components released by ODG hydrolysis. This extrapolation is scientifically justified by the shared chemical identity of the hydrolysis products, but it means that no human efficacy data exist for ODG as a specific ingredient formulation.
The strongest evidence for the MCT class concerns: (1) their established use in managing fat-malabsorption syndromes, (2) the MCT ketogenic diet in drug-resistant epilepsy, and (3) mild ketosis induction in neurological conditions such as Alzheimer's disease. Evidence for weight management, lipid metabolism, and gut microbiota modulation — while mechanistically plausible and supported by animal data — remains mixed or preliminary in human trials. ODG's food additive status in China provides a regulatory anchor for its safety in food applications, and the EFSA evaluation of structurally related octyl/decyl esters in food contact materials provides additional chemical safety context, though this is not equivalent to an oral safety assessment for ODG.
Health conditions that Octyl glycerate may help support.
Body systems that Octyl glycerate may help support.
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