Wax esters are formed by the combination of a fatty alcohol molecule and a fatty acid. Organic acids typically have a carboxyl group (-COOH), and alcohols have a hydroxyl group (-OH). When organic acids and alcohols combine, they form esters. In wax esters, the hydroxyl group of the fatty alcohol combines with the carboxyl group of the fatty acid to form an ester bond. There are various types of wax esters, mainly divided into saturated and unsaturated types. Saturated wax esters have a higher melting point and are generally solid at room temperature. Compared to saturated wax esters, unsaturated wax esters have a lower melting point and tend to be liquid at room temperature. The carbon chain lengths of fatty acids and fatty alcohols may vary, and there are many different combinations of fatty acids and fatty alcohols. Each combination has a unique set of properties in terms of phase transition and spatial orientation.
In natural wax esters, the chain lengths of fatty acids and fatty alcohols differ. Fatty acids in wax esters derived from plants typically range from C12 to C24, while the alcohols in plant wax esters can be very long, usually ranging from C24 to C34. Wax esters often serve as a part of the epidermis of leaves, shells, and arthropods, preventing water loss. Plants like beeswax and jojoba can store large amounts of wax esters. Marine organisms such as pelagic invertebrates, dinoflagellates, and fish use wax esters of low density stored in their swim bladders or other tissues to provide buoyancy.
Wax Ester Analysis
Biotech company Baitai Pike provides reliable, fast, and cost-effective wax ester analysis services based on highly stable, reproducible, and sensitive systems for separation, characterization, identification, and quantitative analysis, combined with LC-MS/MS.
