Margaric acid, or heptadecanoic acid, is a crystalline saturated fatty acid. Its molecular formula is CH3(CH2)15CO2H. Classified as an odd-chain fatty acid, it occurs as a trace component of the fat and milkfat of ruminants, but it does not occur in any natural animal or vegetable fat at high concentrations. For example, it comprises only 2.2% of the fats from the fruit of the durian species Durio graveolens. However, in the 19th and early 20th centuries, there were numerous reports of the acid being found in natural fats in significant amounts. Most likely, these were cases of misidentifying a eutectic mixture of palmitic and stearic acids. Salts and esters of margaric acid are called heptadecanoates.
Its name is derived from the Ancient Greek μάργαρος (márgar(on)), meaning "pearl(y)", due to its appearance.
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