Abstract
Squalene is found in a large number of plants, animals, and microorganisms, as well as other sources, playing an important role as an intermediate in sterol biosynthesis. It is used widely in the food, cosmetics, and medicine industries because of its antioxidant, antistatic, and anti-carcinogenic properties. A higher natural squalene component of lipids is usually reported as being isolated to organisms living in harsh environments. In the Tibetan Plateau, which is characterized by high altitude, strong solar radiation, drought, low temperatures, and thin air, the squalene component was identified in five alpine grasslands soils using the pyrolysis gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) technique. The relative abundance of squalene ranged from 0.93% to 10.66% in soils from the five alpine grasslands, with the highest value found in alpine desert and the lowest in alpine meadow. Furthermore, the relative abundance of squalene in alpine grassland soils was significantly negatively associated with soil chemical/microbial characteristics. These results indicate that the extreme environmental conditions of the Tibetan Plateau may stimulate the microbial biosynthesis of squalene, and the harsher the environment, the higher the relative abundance of soil squalene.
Highlights
IntroductionSqualene is named after the shark family Squalidae, and is a triterpene with the formula C30 H50
Squalene is named after the shark family Squalidae, and is a triterpene with the formula C30 H50 .It is an intermediate in the biosynthesis of sterols and hopanoids in the plant, animal, human, and microorganism worlds [1,2]
The squalene component was identified from the soils in all five alpine grasslands, including alpine meadow (AM), Alpine steppe (AS), Alpine meadow steppe (AMS), alpine desert steppe (ADS), and Alpine desert (AD) in the Tibetan Plateau using Py-GC/MS (Figure 1)
Summary
Squalene is named after the shark family Squalidae, and is a triterpene with the formula C30 H50. It is an intermediate in the biosynthesis of sterols and hopanoids in the plant, animal, human, and microorganism worlds [1,2]. Squalene itself has several beneficial properties and values. It is a hydrophilic natural antioxidant which serves in health-promoting functions including skin hydration and tumor-suppression. It has cardio-protective, antibacterial/antifungal, immunity-boosting, and cholesterol-lowering effects. It can be used as a drug delivery agent, and has been used as a Biomolecules 2018, 8, 154; doi:10.3390/biom8040154 www.mdpi.com/journal/biomolecules
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