Occurrence
Found in spermaceti wax and sperm oil (Givaudan Index, 1961).
Preparation
By reduction of the fatty acid ester by LiAlH4 .
Toxicity evaluation
The acute oral LD50 value in rats was reported as > 5 g/kg(Levenstein, 1974) , and the acute oral LD50 of mixed isomers of tetradecanol as 32.5 ml/kg in rats (Smyth, Carpenter, Weil, Pozzani, Striegel & Nycum, 1969).The acute dermal LD50 value in rabbits was reported as > 5 g/kg by Levenstein (1974) and as 7.13 ml/kg by Smyth et al (1969).
Metabolism
Tetradecanol supported the growth of Pseudomonas C12B in minimal media (Williams, May berry & Payne, 1966). In the oxidation of tetradecanol by Pseudomonas aeruginosa cultures, tetradecanol was accumulated as the semicarbazone, supporting the possibility of production of an intermediate aldehyde (Büning-Pfaue & Rehm, 1972).
