Cutin is a waxy substance which is a component of cuticle at the surface of leaves in plants. It consists of fatty acids and their derivatives which form ester bonds.
There are two major monomer families of cutin, C16 and C18 -families. The C16 family consists mainly of 16-hydroxypalmitate and 9,16 or 10,16-dihydroxypalmitate. The C18 family consists mainly of 18-hydroxyoleate, 9,10-epoxy-18-hydroxystearate, and 9,10,18-trihydroxystearate.
Cutin is sometimes confused with suberin.
