Erythro-Diols of wax from the uropygial gland of the turkey.

The uropygial (preen) gland secretion of the domestic turkey resembles that of the chicken in consisting mainly of a diester wax. The esterified fatty acids are saturated; they include all members of the n-C(10)-C(20) homologous series, the C(17)-C(19) acids together accounting for 60% of the total. There are four major 2,3-n-alkanediols, C(19)-C(23), all having the erythro configuration as determined by thin-layer chromatography on boric acid-silica gel and by gas-liquid chromatography. The chicken uropygiols, by contrast, contain erythro and threo diols. It is suggested that the chicken possesses two biosynthetic enzyme systems for the diols, the turkey only one