[Isolation and identification of desmosterol and its concentration in animal brain tissue]

A method is developed for isolating desmosterol fro the brain of some animals. Sterols with Rf 0.37 and 0.51 are identified. Desmosterol is found in the brain unsaponifiable fraction of calves, piggies, chickens and rats. Its content in the mentioned animals brain is compared. Desmosterol content is shown to rise sharply in the rat brain during the first 12 days after birth. Interrelation between the level of sterols in the brain and formation of the nerve tissue myelin sheath is discussed.