that require such enzymes nutritional supplements or pharmaceutical preparations comprising seven carbon fatty acids are useful in treatment of inherited metabolic disorders as well as acquired metabolic derangements a preferred seven carbon fatty acid is n heptanoic acid n heptanoic acid is a saturated straight chain seven carbon fatty acid with the following structure triheptanoin is a triglyceride made by the esterification of three n heptanoic acid molecules and glycerol in regard to therapy the terms heptanoic acid heptanoate and triheptanoin may be used interchangeably in the following description also it will be understood by those skilled in the art that heptanoic acid heptanoate and triheptanoin are used throughout the following description as an exemplary seven carbon fatty acid source of the invention and is intended to be illustrative of the invention but is not to be construed to limit the scope of the invention in any way substituted unsaturated or branched heptanoate as well as other modified seven carbon fatty acids can be used without departing from the scope of the invention triheptanoin is first broken down into three molecules of heptanoic acid and glycerol as illustrated in fig2 the heptanoic acid is then broken down through normal u03b2 oxidative procedures to n valeryl coa c 5 and acetyl coa c 2 in the first cycle in the second cycle the n valeryl coa is then broken down to propionyl coa c 3 and acetyl coa c 2 both of which are important precursors as fuel for the kreb 39 s cycle and energy production triheptanoin therefore is useful as an.