squalene

American  

[skwey-leen] / ˈskweɪ lin /

noun

Biochemistry.

1. an oil, C 3 0 H 5 0 , intermediate in the synthesis of cholesterol, obtained for use in manufacturing pharmaceuticals.

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squalene British  

/ ˈskweɪˌliːn /

noun

1. biochem a terpene first found in the liver of sharks but also present in the livers of most higher animals: an important precursor of cholesterol

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squalene Scientific  

/ skwā′lēn′ /

1. A colorless, unsaturated hydrocarbon found especially in the liver oil of sharks and in human sebum. It is an intermediate compound in the body's synthesis of cholesterol. Chemical formula: C ₃₀ H ₅₀ .

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Etymology

Origin of squalene

1925–30; < New Latin Squal ( us ) name of a genus of sharks (the liver of which yields the oil), Latin: a kind of fish + -ene

Example Sentences

“Many beauty products contain squalene,” Schiller says, “which usually, but not necessarily, derives from sharks. So it’s good to look for products that use plant-based alternatives instead.”

From National Geographic

Livers make up about a third of sharks’ body weight and are rich in a nutritious oil called squalene, making them highly appealing to orcas, Watson says.

From Scientific American

Exfoliating enzymes, epidermal growth factor, stem cells, and squalene oil.

From Slate

Self-sufficient amalgam of oil and water and squalene and ceramides that it is, the skin can’t help but glow.

From Slate

The study, however, found that several metabolites proven to be vital to human health were found either exclusively or in greater amounts of beef, including creatine, spermine, anserine, cysteamine, glucosamine, squalene, and the omega-3 fatty acid DHA, researchers said.

From Fox News