Saturated and Unsaturated Wax Esters Produced by Acinetobacter sp. HO1-N Grown on C16-C20 n-Alkanes

The wax ester compositions produced by the action of Acinetobacter sp. HO1-N on n-alkanes (C₁₆ through C₂₀) were analyzed using capillary gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The wax esters contained, surprisingly, a large percentage of mono-and diunsaturated components. The acyl and alkoxy segments are reported for each wax ester component. Also, the positions of the carbon-carbon double bonds in the wax esters produced from the C₁₆ and C₂₀ n-alkanes are reported. These microbial-produced wax ester mixtures bear a close chemical similarity to those of sperm whale and jojoba oils.