Constituents of temporal gland secretion of the African elephant,Loxodonta africana.

Temporal gland secretion (TGS), obtained from 15 different mature African elephants in Kruger National Park was analyzed for volatile constituents. Only five volatile components were present.p-Cresol was present in all samples, but phenol was found as an appreciable component of only one sample and as trace amounts in six others. Three sesquiterpenes were identified, the latter two being new natural products:E-farnesol, farnesol hydrate (3,7,11-trimethyl-2,10-dodecadien-1,7-diol), and farnesol dihydrate (3,7,11-trimethyl-2-dodecen-1,7,11-triol). These sesquiterpenes represent the first isolated from mammals. Ten samples of TGS, serum, and saliva were assayed for cholesterol, urea, and proteins including several enzymes.