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The Basal Pharmacology of Palmitoylethanolamide

Rankin L, Fowler CJ. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2020; 21(21):7942.

ReviewHumansOther animals

Design
Review
What was measured
How palmitoylethanolamide is made, broken down, absorbed and distributed in the body, and what its proposed molecular targets are

What the authors reported

PPAR-alpha is described as the best supported target, with further evidence for TRPV1 and GPR55 and for effects on mast cells. Oral palmitoylethanolamide did not significantly change plasma anandamide in humans or dogs. Bioavailability, tissue distribution and the route and rate of elimination are stated as not known, and most clinical studies are described as small.

Limits of this study

A narrative review, not a systematic one. Most of the mechanism evidence it covers comes from cells and laboratory animals, and the authors note that almost all of the animal studies used males only.

Source

doi:10.3390/ijms21217942

Entry checked against the full text at the publisher (MDPI) on 2026-09-21. The dose shown is the dose the researchers used. It is not a recommendation. How to read this page.