Content and composition of free sterols and free fatty alcohols in jojoba oil

A method was developed for the isolation and identification of phytosterols and fatty alcohols in jojoba oil. The method consists in the separation of these compounds from wax esters in the oil by means of an aluminum oxide column followed by further fractionation of the minor components by column chromatography on silica gel. The 4-demethylsterols, 4-methylsterols, triterpene alcohols (4,4-dimethylsterols), and fatty alcohols are identified by means of their gas chromatographic and mass spectrometric data. The present paper includes a method for the quantitation of the free sterols in jojoba oil.