Capillary column gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for the determination of the fatty acid composition of human adipose tissue

A procedure for determining the fatty acid composition of human adipose tissue using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was developed. Adipose tissue was obtained from the lateral upper aspect of the right thigh by needle biopsy and prepared for analysis by lyophilisation, total lipid extraction and base-catalysed transesterification of the complexed fatty acids to form fatty acid methyl esters. Capillary column gas chromatography resolved thirty different peaks, ranging in carbon length from 12 to 24. Provisional identification of the peaks was by cochromatography with authentic standards and confirmed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry using electron-impact ionisation. Fatty acid methyl esters were quantified in absolute amounts with respect to dry tissue weight and as a percentage of the total fat. Statistical analysis of the results from twenty healthy subjects using the two-tailed unpaired Student's t-test demonstrated women had significantly higher levels of myristoleic and palmitoleic acids (p less than 0.001) and lower levels of palmitic acid (p less than 0.05) in adipose tissue when compared with the male group. Similarly total saturated fatty acids was lower (p less than 0.05) and total monounsaturated fatty acids was higher in women than in men.     

在线热辅助甲基化-气相色谱法分析棉籽仁中的脂肪酸组成

建立了分析棉籽仁中脂肪酸组成的在线热辅助甲基化-气相色谱法。将0.3 mg棉籽仁样品与2 μ L三甲基氢氧化硫（0.2 mol/L）加入裂解器,在350℃下进行甲基化反应,通过气相色谱仪进行分离分析,共检测到8种脂肪酸甲酯成分,分别为亚油酸（C18：2）、油酸（C18：1）、棕榈酸（C16：0）、硬脂酸（C18：0）、肉豆蔻酸（C14：0）、棕榈油酸（C16：1）、花生酸（C20：0）和二十二酸（C22：0）,不饱和脂肪酸的相对含量为66.30%~72.54%,其中亚油酸的相对含量为43.20%~53.61%,相对峰面积的相对标准偏差（RSD）小于10%（n=5）。通过分析5组棉籽仁样品与3种食用油中的脂肪酸组成,结果表明不同产地的棉籽仁中的脂肪酸组成差异不明显,且棉籽仁中的脂肪酸组成与玉米油最为接近,相似度为0.960~0.992。该方法简单、快速、准确,适合分析棉籽仁中的脂肪酸组成。     

Dimethyl carbonate as a novel methylating reagent for fatty acids in analytical pyrolysis

Dimethyl carbonate (DMC) was investigated as a mild, harmless and odorless reagent for pyrolytic methylation of fatty acids. Soybean oil was selected as test material for its high content of (poly)unsaturated fatty acids. Pyrolyses were performed at 500, 700 and 900 degrees C by means of a heated platinum filament pyrolyser on-line and off-line to the GC-MS apparatus. Methyl esters of palmitic, linoleic, oleic and stearic acid were formed as prominent products from off-line pyrolysis of soybean oil in the presence of DMC and zeolite 13X. Fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) were not observed at important levels in the absence of zeolite, while on-line Py-GC-MS experiments resulted principally in the formation of free fatty acids and hydrocarbons. The FAME profiles obtained from the DMC/zeolite off-line pyrolysis were compared to those resulting from tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) thermochemolysis and BF3-methanol procedure. The observed differences between pyrolysis and methanolysis methods were principally attributed to the thermal degradation of unsaturated fatty acids. The effectiveness of the DMC/zeolite pyrolytic methylation was further demonstrated by the analysis of tripalmitine and soybean seeds.     

Mixed Langmuir monolayers of cholesterol and `essential' fatty acids

Langmuir monolayers of cholesterol and various fatty acids, such as stearic, oleic, linoleic, α-linolenic, and arachidonic acids, spread at the air/water interface are investigated. The system of cholesterol and stearic acid is found to be immiscible, with only one collapse, occurring at the same surface pressure for all composition range. However, surface pressure (π) – area (A) isotherms of cholesterol/unsaturated fatty acids show a characteristic course with two collapse states. The pressure of the first collapse varies with the proportion of the components in the mixture, while the second collapse, occurring at the surface pressure characteristic of cholesterol alone, is independent of mole fraction of the investigated fatty acid. The application of the surface phase rule indicates that the unsaturated fatty acids/cholesterol mixtures are miscible up to the surface pressure corresponding to the first collapse. Negative values of the excess free energy of mixing in all composition ranges prove that the mixtures are stable. The interactions existing in mixtures of cholesterol and unsaturated fatty acids possessing even numbers of double bonds are strongest in the lower region of fatty acid proportion, and the results are consistent with the minimum values of the excess free energy of mixing, indicating the most stable mixtures. For cholesterol and unsaturated fatty acids with odd numbers of double bonds the behavior is different, and the strongest interactions occur in both low and high regions of mole fraction of an acid. Received: 2 May 2000 Accepted: 26 October 2000     

杏仁油的物化性能及其脂肪酸组成的分析

用３种不同溶剂萃取杏仁得到杏仁油,并对其物化常数进行测定。杏仁油用饱和氢氧化钾 甲醇皂化,再用甲醇 硫酸（体积比为４∶１）甲酯化后,将乙醚萃取液作气相色谱分析。太原杏仁油中脂肪酸的主要成分为油酸（Ｃ１８∶１,质量分数约６８％）和亚油酸（Ｃ１８∶２,质量分数约２５％）,少量棕榈酸（Ｃ１６∶０）、棕榈烯酸（Ｃ１６∶１）和硬脂酸（Ｃ１８∶０）,微量花生酸（Ｃ２０∶０）。     

Cholesterol and its fatty acid esters in native DNA preparations: lipid analysis,computer simulation of their interaction with DNA and cholesterol binding to immobilized oligodeoxyribonucleotides

Supramolecular DNA complexes were isolated from rat normal cells and murine tumors. The content of DNA-bound lipids (cholesterol and its esters) was determined. The content of cholesterol esters is higher than that of free cholesterol; the lipid content in tumor cells is higher than in normal cells. Using the molecular mechanics approach, it is demonstrated for the first time that cholesterol and its esters with stearic, oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acids bind to the DNA minor groove more strongly than with the major groove. The calculated DNA binding energies of cholesterol and its esters depend on both the number of double bonds in the fatty acid residue and on the DNA nucleotide composition. The formation of stable complexes between cholesterol molecules and d(AT)-rich oligonucleotides was demonstrated using biological microchip containing immobilized octadeoxyribonucleotides. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 9, pp. 2138–2144, September, 2005.     

超高效液相色谱法测定生物柴油中的11种脂肪酸及脂肪酸甲酯

建立了采用超高效液相色谱(UPLC)-蒸发光散射检测器(ELSD)测定生物柴油中11种常见的脂肪酸及脂肪酸甲酯含量的方法。这11种常见的脂肪酸及脂肪酸甲酯为豆蔻酸、亚油酸、棕榈酸、油酸、亚麻酸甲酯、硬脂酸、亚油酸甲酯、棕榈酸甲酯、油酸甲酯、芥酸和硬脂酸甲酯。样品经提取后用甲醇溶解,采用Acquity UPLC BEH Phenyl C18柱(100 mm×2.1 mm,1.7 μm)分离,乙腈-水（体积比为3∶1)混合液为流动相进行等度洗脱,采用的ELSD条件为增益80,漂移管温度为45 ℃,载气压力为172 kPa,雾化器为冷却模式,并用外标法进行定量分析。结果表明,在一定的质量浓度范围内,峰面积的对数和质量浓度的对数线性关系良好。与其他检测生物柴油成分的方法相比,该方法简单,分离效果好,速度快,特别是此方法可以同时实现脂肪酸及脂肪酸甲酯的分离,并进行定量分析,能有效测定反应的进行程度,从而满足生物柴油工艺研究的需要。     

植物油中脂肪酸不同定量方法的比较分析

比较峰面积归一化法与标准曲线法两种方法分析植物油中脂肪酸百分比含量的差异。利用气相色谱-质谱联用仪(GC-MS)检测10种市售食用植物油中的8种主要脂肪酸,峰面积归一化法和标准曲线法计算脂肪酸的百分比含量。结果表明,标准曲线法与峰面积归一化法相比,肉豆蔻酸、棕榈酸、十七烷酸、硬脂酸和棕榈油酸所占的百分比升高,而油酸、亚油酸和亚麻酸比例降低;饱和脂肪酸比例升高,不饱和脂肪酸百分比降低。利用峰面积归一化法计算植物油中脂肪酸百分比时,降低了饱和脂肪酸比例,升高了不饱和脂肪酸比例,可能对健康有潜在的不利影响。建议使用标准曲线法计算不同植物油中脂肪酸的百分比。     

Capillary electrochromatographic enantioseparations using a packed capillary with a 3 microm OD-type chiral packing

A technique for separating methyl esters of monounsaturated fatty acids by argentation chromatography using silver nitrate-impregnated TLC plates is described. Monounsaturated fatty acid methyl esters are separated from polyunsaturated and saturated fatty acid methyl esters and the monounsaturated fatty methyl esters are resolved according to chain length. cis isomers are well resolved from the corresponding trans isomers. R(F) values for individual monounsaturated fatty acids are very reproducible. The potential of the technique in metabolic studies is demonstrated in the chain elongation of [14C]-18:1(n-9) and delta-9 desaturation of [14C]-18:0 by human skin fibroblasts. Recoveries of individual [14C]-fatty acids for scintillation counting exceed 94%.     

气相色谱质谱法测定植物油中脂肪酸

建立了气相色谱质谱法测定食用植物性油中脂肪酸检测的方法。植物油中的脂肪酸甘油酯在碱性条件下被水解为游离脂肪酸,随后采用三氟化硼将其转化为脂肪酸甲酯。采用同位素标记脂肪酸进行加标回收试验,回收率在94%以上。通过质谱的选择离子检测模式对硬脂酸、油酸、亚油酸等10种目标脂肪酸进行了检测,结果显示,该方法可用于油品的质量检测和日常分析。     

Quantitative analysis of fatty-acid-based biofuels produced by wild-type and genetically engineered cyanobacteria by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Simple and rapid quantitative determination of fatty-acid-based biofuels is greatly important for the study of genetic engineering progress for biofuels production by microalgae. Ideal biofuels produced from biological systems should be chemically similar to petroleum, like fatty-acid-based molecules including free fatty acids, fatty acid methyl esters, fatty acid ethyl esters, fatty alcohols and fatty alkanes. This study founded a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method for simultaneous quantification of seven free fatty acids, nine fatty acid methyl esters, five fatty acid ethyl esters, five fatty alcohols and three fatty alkanes produced by wild-type Synechocystis PCC 6803 and its genetically engineered strain. Data obtained from GC-MS analyses were quantified using internal standard peak area comparisons. The linearity, limit of detection (LOD) and precision (RSD) of the method were evaluated. The results demonstrated that fatty-acid-based biofuels can be directly determined by GC-MS without derivation. Therefore, rapid and reliable quantitative analysis of fatty-acid-based biofuels produced by wild-type and genetically engineered cyanobacteria can be achieved using the GC-MS method founded in this work.     

GC/MS determination of fatty acid picolinyl esters by direct curie-point pyrolysis of whole bacterial cells

A single-step method suitable for cellular fatty acid derivatization to picolinyl esters with the use of a pyrolyzer as a thermochemical micro-reactor was developed for whole bacterial cells. This reduced the preparation time from several hours to less than two minutes. In addition, the minimal bacterial mass required for analysis was reduced from several milligrams to micrograms. The profiling of cellular fatty acids of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria was achieved using three derivatization methods: preparation of methyl esters, beta-picolinyl esters by Harvey's method and a new method based on pyrolytic derivatization to beta-picolinyl esters. It was shown that there are great similarities between profiles of bacterial fatty acids determined by the pyrolytic derivatization method and traditional preparation methods of picolinyl and methyl esters prior to GC analysis. Results obtained by application of the new technique have immense diagnostic value due to vast similarities between profiles of fatty acids derivatized to either picolinyl and methyl esters. Although the latter are referred to in the literature most often, mass spectra of picolinyl esters contain fragment ions that provide structural information about the chain branching, position of unsaturation, and other substituents.     

Determination of the fatty acid composition of saponified vegetable oils using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry

A method using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS) for the determination of the fatty acid composition of vegetable oils is described and illustrated with the analysis of palm kernel oil, palm oil, olive oil, canola oil, soybean oil, vernonia oil, and castor oil. Solutions of the saponified oils, mixed with the matrix, meso-tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrin, provided reproducible MALDI-TOF spectra in which the ions were dominated by sodiated sodium carboxylates [RCOONa + Na]+. Thus, palm kernel oil was found to contain capric acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, oleic acid, and stearic acid. Palm oil had a fatty acid profile including palmitic, linoleic, oleic, and stearic. The relative percentages of the fatty acids in olive oil were palmitoleic (1.2 +/- 0.5), palmitic (10.9 +/- 0.8), linoleic (0.6 +/- 0.1), linoleic (16.5 +/- 0.8), and oleic (70.5 +/- 1.2). For soybean oil, the relative percentages were: palmitoleic (0.4 +/- 0.4), palmitic (6.0 +/- 1.3), linolenic (14.5 +/- 1.8), linoleic (50.1 +/- 4.0), oleic (26.1 +/- 1.2), and stearic (2.2 +/- 0.7). This method was also applied to the analysis of two commercial soap formulations. The first soap gave a fatty acid profile that included: lauric (19.4% +/- 0.8), myristic (9.6% +/- 0.5), palmitoleic (1.9% +/- 0.3), palmitic (16.3% +/- 0.9), linoleic (5.6% +/- 0.4), oleic (37.1% +/- 0.8), and stearic (10.1% +/- 0.7) and that of the second soap was: lauric (9.3% +/- 0.3), myristic (3.8% +/- 0.5), palmitoleic (3.1% +/- 0.8), palmitic (19.4% +/- 0.8), linoleic (4.9% +/- 0.7), oleic (49.5% +/- 1.1), and stearic (10.0% +/- 0.9). The MALDI-TOFMS method described in this communication is simpler and less time-consuming than the established transesterification method that is coupled with analysis by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The new method could be used routinely to determine the qualitative fatty acid composition of vegetable oils, and, when fully validated by comparison with standard analytical methodologies, should provide a relatively fast quantitative measurement of fatty acid mixtures and/or soap formulations that contain saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbon moieties.     

Die Zusammensetzung der Neutrallipide aus normalen Hirnen alter Menschen

The chemical composition of lipids from six human brains (60–73 years) is reported. The total lipids out of cortex, white matter, diencephalon and cerebellum, pons, and medulla oblongata have been isolated and the neutral lipids have been separated in cerebrosides, sphingomyelines, and lecithins. The highest amount of pure lipids is found in the white matter, the lowest in the cortex. The relation of neutral lipids to acid lipids as well as the amount of cholesterol are about equal for all regions. The white matter shows more cerebrosides and sphingomyelines than the cortex, the opposite being the case for lecithins. The differences are strongly significant. The fatty acids out of the different pure lipid fractions have been analysed as esters by gas chromatography. Stearic and lignoceric acid, and cerebronic and hydroxy nervonic acid respectively are main components of cerebrosides, with only little differences for the different brain regions. The fatty acids of sphingomyelines consist mainly of stearic and nervonic acid; in the white matter these two acids are present about in the same quantity, whereas stearic acid dominates in the cortex and the other sections. Lecithins contain above all palmitic and oleic acid. The amount of the latter in the white matter is higher than that of palmitic acid.     

Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry coupled with pseudo-Sadtler retention indices, for the identification of components in the essential oil of Curcuma longa L.

Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was applied to the cyclohexane extract of Curcuma longa L. The chromatographic conditions generated retention indices very close i.e., greater than 99.9%, to those reported for structures in the Sadtler Standard Gas Chromatography Retention Index Library. In addition to the extensively reported sesquiterpene ketones, this essential oil extract contained a series of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. Wiley mass spectra library matching for the free fatty acids, their trimethylsilyl esters and methyl esters narrowed their identity down to a few candidates. Combining this information with the retention indices of the fatty acid methyl esters in the Sadtler library allowed the identification of some of the double bond positions.     

Enzymatic synthesis and analytical monitoring of terpene ester by <Superscript>1</Superscript>H NMR spectroscopy

Terpene esters of fatty acids have potential applications in food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries. The present study focuses on the synthesis of terpene esters of long chain fatty acids catalyzed by Candida antarctica lipase B. Different parameters like temperature, solvent, and enzyme concentration for the esterification of terpene alcohols (geraniol and citronellol) with oleic acid were studied. Maximum conversion (98 %) was found for both terpene esters at 60°C in 2,2,4-trimethylpentane as well as in dry hexane and around 95–97 % in other tested solvents. The reaction was also carried out using stearic and linoleic acid in hexane to study the effects of unsaturation in the substrate in which stearic acid showed the maximum conversion. The reaction was monitored by ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Using the peak integration values of methylene protons of terpene and terpene ester of δ = 3.6 and 4.0 for citronellol and δ = 4.2 and 4.6 for geraniol, respectively, percentage conversions of each of the esters were calculated.     

质谱特征结合等效链长定性分析植物油中的脂肪酸

建立了质谱特征结合等效链长快速定性植物油中脂肪酸的方法。首先根据质谱特征判断脂肪酸的类型并鉴定出其中的饱和脂肪酸甲酯,然后利用它们的保留时间信息计算得到不饱和脂肪酸甲酯的等效链长值,与已建立的脂肪酸甲酯数据库对照实现不饱和脂肪酸甲酯的结构鉴定。用NaOH-甲醇对5种常见植物油(花生调和油、茶籽调和油、菜籽油、葵花籽油、大豆油)中的脂肪酸进行衍生和提取,采用DB-23石英毛细管柱(30m×0.25mm×0.25μm)分离脂肪酸甲酯的同系物和异构体,气相色谱质谱法(GC/MS)测定,结果表明,5种样品油中所含不饱和脂肪酸的组成和含量上均存在明显差异。本方法无需标准品即可快速定性检测脂肪酸同系物及异构体,适用于油脂、食品中脂肪酸的成分分析。     

Hollow fiber liquid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography-flame ionization detection for the profiling of fatty acids in vegetable oils

The development of a two phase hollow fiber liquid-phase microextraction technique, followed by gas-chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID) for the profiling of the fatty acids (FAs) (lauric, myristic, palmitic, stearic, palmitoleic, oleic, linoleic, linolenic and arachidic) in vegetable oils is described. Heptadecanoic acid methyl ester was used as the internal standard. The FAs were transesterified to their corresponding methyl esters prior to the extraction. Extraction parameters such as type of extracting solvent, temperature, extraction time, stirring speed and salt addition were studied and optimized. Recommended conditions were extraction solvent, n-tridecane; extraction time, 35 min; extraction temperature, ambient; without addition of salt. Enrichment factors varying from 37 to 115 were achieved. Calibration curves for the nine FAs were well correlated (r(2)>0.994) within the range of 10-5000 μg L(-1). The limit of detection (signal:noise, 3) was 4.73-13.21 ng L(-1). The method was successfully applied to the profiling of the FAs in palm oils (crude, olein, kernel, and carotino cooking oil) and other vegetable oils (soybean, olive, coconut, rice bran and pumpkin). The encouraging enrichments achieved offer an interesting option for the profiling of the minor and major FAs in palm and other vegetable oils.     

Reaction efficiency of organic alkalis with various classes of lipids during thermally assisted hydrolysis and methylation

Reaction efficiencies of two organic alkalis, tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) and trimethylsulfonium hydroxide (TMSH), with lipids during thermally assisted hydrolysis and methylation (THM) were examined focusing on (1) the types of lipids and (2) degree of unsaturation of fatty acid moieties. Different types of lipids such as triglycerides, phospholipids, free fatty acids and cholesteryl esters containing saturated, monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) residues were subjected to THM-gas chromatography (GC) in the presence of TMAH or TMSH. The obtained results revealed that the THM reaction using TMAH allowed almost quantitative methylation of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acid components independently of the classes of lipids. However, strong alkalinity of TMAH brought about isomerization and/or degradation of PUFA components. In contrast, the use of TMSH was effective to highly sensitive detection of PUFA as well as saturated and monounsaturated fatty acid components contained in triglycerides, phospholipids (phosphatidylcholines) and free fatty acids. On the other hand, TMSH was proved to react hardly with any kind of fatty acid residues in cholesteryl esters due to their steric hindrance.