Squalene is a polyunsaturated  triterpene composed of 2,6,10,10,15,15,19,23-hexamethyltetracosane and is mainly extracted from shark liver oil (about 35%) (1). It is also found in vegetables, oils, fishes.

EU Directive 2003/15/EC reduced the use of squalane from animal sources and many producers of this oil now obtain it from plant sources including olive oil and sugar cane.

In the human body it is synthesised by the liver and secreted by sebaceous glands into sebum and epidermis and is an intermediate in cholesterol biosynthesis, known to have active oxygen scavenging activity.

It has antitumor (2), antioxidant (3), antibacterial (4) properties.

Squalene studies

• Molecular Formula: C₃₀H₅₀
• Linear Formula [(CH₃)₂C[=CHCH₂CH₂C(CH₃)]₂=CHCH₂-]₂
• Molecular Weight: 410.7 g/mol
• CAS: 868-14-4
• EC Number: 203-826-1
• UNII: 7QWM220FJH

Synonyms:

• trans-Squalene
• Spinacen
• Spinacene
• Supraene
• (6E,10E,14E,18E)-2,6,10,15,19,23-hexamethyltetracosa-2,6,10,14,18,22-hexaene

References_____________________________________________

(1) Biochemical Characterization of Liver Oil of Echinorhinus brucus (Bramble Shark) and Its Cytotoxic Evaluation on Neuroblastoma Cell Lines (SHSY-5Y).  Venugopal V, Kumaran AK, Sekhar Chatterjee N, Kumar S, Kavilakath S, Nair JR, Mathew S.  Scientifica (Cairo). 2016;2016:6294030. doi: 10.1155/2016/6294030.

(2) Biological importance and applications of squalene and squalane.  Kim SK, Karadeniz F.  Adv Food Nutr Res. 2012;65:223-33. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-416003-3.00014-7.

(3) Medical use of squalene as a natural antioxidant. Günes F. E. (2013).   Clin. Exp. Health Sci. 3, 220–228. 10.5455/musbed.20131213100404

(4) Occurrence of squalene and cholesterol in various species of Czech freshwater fish. Kopicová Z., Vavreinová S. (2007).   Czech. J. Food Sci. 25, 195–201. 10.17221/733-CJFS