Characterization and purification of fatty acid methyl esters from the liver oil of the deep sea shark (Centrophorus squamosus) by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and countercurrent chromatography

Summary In the course of our studies on the location of marine products, we have directed our attention to the saponifiable fraction of the liver oil from the deep sea shark (Centrophorus squamosus). Different analytical and preparative techniques, such as high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), countercurrent chromatography (CCC), and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry GC-MS, electron impact (EI) and positive-ion chemical ionization (PCI)] were used. These methods allowed us to characterize, after various derivatizations, most of the fatty acids formed after the saponification of the oil, and to purify two of them, namely: docosahexaenoic acid (DHA or 226) and docosamonoenoic acid (DMA or 221).