Wax esters belong to the group of fatty esters within the fatty acyls. Their structure is based on a long-chain fatty acid. The carboxyl group of the wax esters fatty acid is linked to a long-chain fatty alcohol. Both, the fatty acid and the fatty alcohol of wax esters can be of variable length, and may further encompass multiple double bonds, acyl groups, and oxygen containing substituents.
Wax esters are found in the surface coating of plant leaves, insects, or animal skin having biological functions such as limiting water diffusion or protecting from environmental stress.
In mammals, wax esters are mostly produced by sebaceous glands of the skin and meibomian glands, producing the eye-covering fluid. Wax esters serve a variety of purposes from energy storage to buoyancy in marine animals.
Here you can read more about the analysis of wax esters performed at Lipotype:
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