Synthesis of 1-octacosanol and GC-C-IRMS discrimination of samples from different origin

Lately, long-chain primary alcohols have been investigated in depth on account of their biological activities. In particular, 1-octacosanol (C28H57OH), the main component of policosanol, the hypolipidaemic fatty alcohol mixture obtained from sugar cane wax, has been the subject of a multitude of pharmacological studies. The aim of this work was to search a convenient synthetic protocol for the preparation of 1-octacosanol in a gram scale. The key step was a Wittig reaction between the octadecyltriphenylphosphonium ylide and the methyl 10-oxodecanoate. Some steps were further improved by power ultrasound and microwave irradiation, either alone or in combination. Our methodology is suitable for a rapid generation of homologues by varying the chain length in the alkyl halide. Due to the high commercial value, a series of 1-octacosanol samples, either isolated from natural sources or from synthesis (different origin and suppliers), were analysed by gas chromatography-combustion-isotopic ratio mass spectrometry (GC-C-IRMS) and according to the carbon isotopic content, classified on the basis of their origin.