ABSTRACT
Squalene (2,6,10,15,19,23-hexamehyl-2,6,10,14,18,22-tetracosanehexaene) is an unsaturated terpene widely distributed in nature. Chemically it is an all-trans isoprenoid containing six isoprene units. Squalene is an intermediate in the biosynthesis of sterols in plants and animals, a precursor of phytosterols in plants, and a precursor of cholesterol in humans. It occurs in high concentrations in the liver oil of certain sharks and in smaller amounts in olive oil, rice bran oil, and yeast. It is also found in palm oil and the palm fatty acid distillate (Gapor Md Top and Abd Rahman, 2000). Squalene is widely distributed in human tissues, most prominently in human sebum, the oily lubricant secreted by the skin’s tiny sebaceous glands.
