Quantitative determination of the fatty acid composition of human serum lipids by high-performance liquid chromatography

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the analysis of the fatty acid composition of human serum lipids with fluorescence detection was examined. Both free and total fatty acids extracted from serum were derivatized with 9-anthryldiazomethane and were analysed using methanol-water (94.7:5.3) as mobile phase. Twelve kinds of fatty acid were detected, both in the free and total fatty acids, and were well separated. Concentrations of individual fatty acids of serum lipids were estimated from an internal standard, heptadecanoic acid. The results correlated well with those from two other quantitative analyses. These results indicate that the high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of fatty acids is a reliable method for determining individual fatty acids of human serum lipids. The compositions of free fatty acids and total fatty acids of serum lipids were analysed and compared in 27 normal subjects, 27 diabetics, and 20 angina pectoris patients by this method.     

Determination of individual bile acids in serum by high performance liquid chromatography

A high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method for analysis of 4 free and 8 conjugated bile acids in submicromolar quantities in serum is described using precolumn derivatization with 4-bromomethyl-7-methoxycoumarin (BMC) and fluorescence detection. Bile acids were extracted from serum with 0.4 M sodium bicarbonate, adsorbed onto a Sep-Pak C18 cartridge and eluted with methanol. The extract was derivatized with BMC in acetonitrile using 18-crown-6 crown ether as catalyst and the BMC labelled glycine conjugates and free bile acids were analysed using acetonitrile + methanol + water gradient elution and detection at 320/385 nm. Using a novel and simple approach, taurine conjugates were isolated by extracting the dried, derivatized material with water, in contrast to previous methods which required column chromatography cleanup to isolate the taurine conjugates prior to derivatization. The isolated taurine conjugates were then hydrolysed enzymatically, extracted, derivatized and analysed as free-bile acids. Recoveries of individual bile acids varied from 83-96% for free and glycine conjugates and 72-83% for taurine conjugates. Coefficients of variation were in the range of 5.1-12.5%. In addition to the simpler and shorter procedure for taurine conjugates, this method has increased sensitivity over most other procedures and improved HPLC separation for the various bile acids and conjugates with equivalent recovery and reproducibility compared with other published methods.     

High-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of serum short-chain fatty acids by direct derivatization

The application of direct derivatization in conjunction with high-performance liquid chromatography is described for the analysis of short-chain fatty acids in serum. The method is based on the reaction of these acids with acidic 2-nitrophenylhydrazine hydrochloride, without complicated isolation steps, which produces their non-volatile hydrazine derivatives. The hydrazides of fourteen saturated and unsaturated, straight and branched, short-chain fatty acids were separated from other acid hydrazides and interfering components by a simple solvent extraction, and were eluted isocratically on a reversed-phase C8 column within 24 min. UV detection demonstrated that the detection limits for the acids were 200-400 fmol per injection with linearity over the range from 400 fmol to 5 nmol per injection. Analytical recoveries ranged from 96.8% to 103.1% and coefficients of variation ranged from 0.9% to 3.8%. The present method is simple, accurate and adequate for the analysis of short-chain fatty acids in biological fluids and tissues of patients suffering from organic acidemias.     

Microanalysis of free fatty acids in plasma of experimental animals and humans by high-performance liquid chromatography

A high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method was developed for microanalysis of thirteen free fatty acids using 200 microliter of plasma. Fatty acids were derivatized with 9-anthryldiazomethane for HPLC analysis. Use of an ODS minicolumn for pretreatment of plasma gave a more accurate determination of free fatty acids in plasma than by chloroform extraction. Using this method, thirteen free fatty acids in the plasma of normal human, dog, rabbit, guinea pig and rat were determined.     

Amino acid, fatty acid, and carbohydrate content of Artocarpus altilis (breadfruit)

A study is conducted to determine the amino acid, fatty acid, and carbohydrate content of breadfruit using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography (GC). An HPLC method is used for the determination of amino acids and fatty acids in breadfruit. Representative amino acid samples are derivatized with phenylisothiocianate and the resulting phenylthiocarbamyl derivatives are separated on a reversed-phase column by gradient elution with a 0.05M ammonium acetate buffer and 0.01M ammonium acetate in acetonitrile-methanol-water (44:10:46, v/v). Representative fatty acid samples are derivatized with phenacyl bromide and the resulting fatty acid phenacyl esters are separated on a reversed-phase column by gradient elution with acetonitrile and water. Amino acid and fatty acid derivatives are detected by ultraviolet detection at 254 nm. The analysis of the carbohydrates in breadfruit employs a GC method. Carbohydrates are derivatized using trimethylchlorosilane and hexamethyldisilazane to form trimethylsilyl ethers. Compounds in the samples are separated by the temperature programming of a GC using nitrogen as the carrier gas. Percent recoveries of amino acids, fatty acids, and carbohydrates are 72.5%, 68.2%, and 81.4%, respectively. The starch content of the breadfruit is 15.52 g/100 g fresh weight.     

血清中游离脂肪酸的液相色谱荧光测定及质谱鉴定

利用新型荧光试剂1,2 苯并 3,4 二氢咔唑 9 乙基对甲苯磺酸酯(BDETS)对19种游离脂肪酸(FFAs)进行柱前衍生,在EclipseXDB C8反相色谱柱上,采用梯度洗脱优化分离.90℃下在DMF溶剂中以K2CO3作催化剂,衍生反应30min获得稳定的荧光产物.激发和发射波长分别为λex=333nm,λem=390nm,采用大气压化学电离源(APCI)正离子模式进行柱后在线质谱定性.多数脂肪酸的线性回归系数大于0.9989,检测限为24.80～80.37fmol.实现了人体血清中长链脂肪酸的定性及相应含量测定.     

LC‐MS identification of derivatized free fatty acids from adipocere in soil samples

Free fatty acids were derivatized as amides (DFFA) by reaction with (R)‐(+)‐1‐phenylethylamine, using a simple, fast and robust reaction scheme. A HPLC method with diode array and ESI MS detection was developed for the analysis of the derivatized substances. Six fatty acids were used in the method development: myristic, linoleic, palmitic, oleic, margaric and stearic acids. Under these conditions the elution of the DFFA are well resolved with retention times raging from 6.9 to 16.0 min. Fatty acids were extracted from cemetery soil and from adipocere formation experimental soils using a Soxhlet extraction, using as solvent ether/dichloromethane (1:1). Each DFFA is characterized by three m/z peaks: molecular weight of the substance; molecular weight of a dimer of the substance; the molecular weight of the dimer plus the atomic mass of sodium. The analysis of soil samples detected the six fatty acids used in the method developed plus palmitoleic and pentadecanoic. Beside this set of eight fatty acids other 13 fatty acids were detected in trace quantities or only in some soils and some were tentatively assigned as: 10‐hydroxystearic, myristoleic, heptadecenoic and arachidic acids.     

UHPLC-Quadrupole/Orbitrap MS同步检测十字花科植物中的游离氨基酸

采用超高效液相色谱-四极杆/静电场轨道阱高分辨质谱联用技术(UHPLC-Quadrupole/Orbitrap MS)结合柱前衍生法建立了可同时测定28种游离氨基酸的分析方法,并对十字花科植物中的游离氨基酸进行检测和分析。样品用超纯水提取后,经6-氨基喹啉基-N-羟基琥珀酰亚胺基甲酸酯(AQC)衍生,采用Waters BEH C18柱作为色谱柱,以pH 5.0乙酸铵缓冲溶液和80%乙腈水溶液作为流动相进行梯度洗脱。质谱检测器采用电喷雾离子源,在正离子模式下进行检测。实验结果表明,十字花科植物中含有25种以上游离氨基酸,其中包括人体必需的8种氨基酸。25种氨基酸在线性范围内相关性良好,平均加标回收率为80.5%~104.4%,相对标准偏差为0.6%~4.4%。不同氨基酸检测灵敏度不同,定量下限为0.01~1.45μmol/L。该方法杂质干扰小,分析速度快,灵敏度高,适用于植物样品中游离氨基酸的同步检测。     

Direct, sensitive and selective detection of free fatty acids by high-performance liquid chromatography with post-column ion-pair extraction and absorbance detection

Free fatty acids (C8-C18) are separated by reversed-phase liquid chromatography and detected using a simple post-column dynamic extraction system in which the acids are extracted as ion pairs with chloroform from the aqueous acetonitrile (gradient: 79-99% acetonitrile) mobile phase after the post-column addition of aqueous Methylene Blue solution. The chloroform phase containing the ion pairs is monitored with an absorbance detector at 651 nm. The detection limits ranged from 26 to 83 ng, depending upon the acid, with coefficients of variation of 1.2-14%. Application of the method to butter and margarine samples permitted detection of free fatty acids down to 35 ppm and in orange juice, down to 0.5 ppm using only an organic solvent extraction without further sample clean-up for isolation of the fatty acids.     

An improved derivatization method for sensitive determination of fatty acids by high-performance liquid chromatography using 9-(2-hydroxylethyl)-carbazole as derivatization reagent with fluorescence detection

Summary Tagging techniques with reagents used for fluorescent detection for short and long-chain fatty acids using high-performance liquid chromatography are evaluated in terms of the tagging reactions, handing, flexibility, stability of the reagents. Emphasis is given to the applications of the tagging techniques to relatively high molecular mass fatty acids. The fatty acids or carboxylic compounds were derivatized to their corresponding esters with 9-(2-hydroxy ethyl)-carbazole (HEC) in acetonitrile at 60°C with N, N′-carbonyldiimidazole (CDI) as a coupling agent in the presence of 4-dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP). A mixture of esters of C₁−C₂₀ fatty acids was completely separated with 45 min using gradient elution on a reversed-phase C₁₈ column. The maximum fluorescence emission for the derivatized fatty acids is at 365 nm (λ_ex 293 nm). Studies on derivatization conditions indicated that fatty acids react rapidly and smoothly with HEC in the presence of CDI and DMAP in acetonitrile to give the corresponding sensitively fluorescent derivatives. The application of this method to the analysis of long chain fatty acids in plasma is also investigated. The LC separation shows good selectivity and reproducibility for fatty acids derivatives. The relative standard deviations (n=6) for each fatty acid derivative are <5.0%. The detection limits are at 38–57 fmol levels for C₁₄−C₂₀ fatty acids and lower levels for <C₁₄ fatty acids.     

Improved method of determination of biologically important C10:0-C22:6 fatty acids as their 2-nitrophenylhydrazides by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

Fatty acids were separated by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography after derivatization with 2-nitrophenylhydrazine hydrochloride in the presence of 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide hydrochloride. The separation of a mixture of fourteen kinds of biologically important fatty acid hydrazides (C10:0-C22:6) was achieved within 15 min. Using margaric acid (C17:0) as internal standard, each fatty acid could be quantitated over the range of 2.5-5000 pmol per injection. Analytical recoveries ranged from 98.1 to 102.6%. The intra- and inter-assay coefficients of variation were less than 2.5 and 3.2%, respectively. For the determination of esterified fatty acids in fats and oils, the saponified mixture was directly derivatized without extraction. This method was compared gave similar fatty acid profiles to those obtained with the conventional liquid-liquid extraction method. It is simple, rapid and accurate for routine analyses of esterified fatty acids in biological materials.     

Analysis of plasma free fatty acid cyanomethyl derivatives by GC-NPD for the diagnosis of mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation disorders

Summary Early diagnosis of fatty acid oxidation (FAO) disorders is important to reduce severe morbidity and mortality. Although analysis of plasma free fatty acids (FFAs) is frequently performed using stable isotope-dilution gas chromatography-mass-spectrometry (GC-MS), there are institutions where the required instrumentation is not available to support a rapid work-up of acutely ill patients. For this reason, we have developed a novel cyanomethyl derivatization method for FFAs which is followed by GC analysis of the resulting esters using nitrogen-phosphorus detector (NPD) for the rapid diagnosis of mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation disorders. FFAs were extracted from plasma and derivatized to the cyanomethyl ester by heating with bromoacetonitrile at 60°C for 30 min GC-NPD analysis was then performed. The mean recoveries of C6:0-C18:0FFAs were between 87% abd 96%. The method detection limits (S/N=3) were 0.1–0.5 ng for C6:0-C14:0 FFAs, and 0.001–0.01 ng for C16:0-C18:0 FFAs. We succesfully performed differential diagnosis of representative FAO disorders from the confimed patient's plasmas. This simple method offers cost-effective and time-saving alternative to GC-MS for the biochemical diagnosis of selected FAO disorders.     

Determination of selected fatty acids in dried sweat spot using gas chromatography with flame ionization detection

A method is described for the determination of fatty acids in dried sweat spot and plasma samples using gas chromatography with flame ionization detection. Plasma and dried sweat spot samples were obtained from a group of blood donors. The sweat was collected from each volunteer during exercise. Sweat was spotted onto collection paper containing butylated hydroxytoluene. Fatty acids were derivatized with acetyl chloride in methanol to form methyl esters of fatty acids. The fatty acids in dried sweat spot samples treated with butylated hydroxytoluene and stored at –20°C were stable for 3 months. Our results indicate that sweat contains, among fatty acids with short chain, also fatty acids with long chain and unsaturated fatty acids. Linear relationships between percentage content of selected fatty acids in dried sweat spot and plasma were observed.     

LC-Fluorescence Detection Analysis of Amino Acids from Stellera chamaejasme L. Using 2-[2-(Dibenzocarbazole)-ethoxy] Ethyl Chloroformate as Labeling Reagent

A pre-column derivatization method for the sensitive determination of amino acids using the tagging reagent 2-[2-(dibenzocarbazole)-ethoxy] ethyl chloroformate (DBCEC) followed by liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection has been developed. Identification of DBCEC-amino acids derivatives was by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS–MS). DBCEC can easily and quickly label amino acids, and derivatives are stable enough to be efficiently analyzed by LC. Separation of the derivatized amino acids had been optimized on Hypersil BDS C₁₈ column. A perfect baseline separation for 20 amino acid derivatives was achieved with a ternary gradient elution program. The chromophore of dibenzocarbazole group, which comprise a large rigid planar structure with p–π conjugation system, resulted in a sensitive fluorescence detection for amino acid derivatives. The derivatized amino acids were detected with fluorescence detector with excitation maximum and emission maximum at 300 and 390 nm, respectively. Excellent linear responses were observed with coefficients of >0.9993, and detection limits were in the range of 0.78–5.13 fmol (signal-to-noise ratio of 3). The mean accuracy ranged from 83.4 to 98.7% for fluorescence detection. The mean inter-day precision for all standards was <4.2% of the expected concentration. Therefore, the proposed method was a highly sensitive and specific method for the quantitative analysis of amino acids from biological and natural environmental samples.     

Analysis of tissue free fatty acids isolated by aminopropyl bonded-phase columns

Gas chromatographic analysis revealed that polyunsaturated fatty acids such as arachidonic acid and total tissue free fatty acids isolated from an aminopropyl bonded-phase column yield a two- to three-fold higher recovery of arachidonic acid as compared to those isolated from thin-layer chromatographic plates. This method was further improved by packing the aminopropyl bonded phase in glass columns, since the glass column significantly eliminated the other contaminants (from polypropylene columns) coeluting with fatty acids in both a neutral lipid thin-layer chromatographic system and on a 5% DEGS-PS column of gas chromatographic analysis. In aminopropyl bonded-phase columns, the standard triglycerides and phospholipids were completely separated from free fatty acids as judged by gas chromatographic analysis. These results warrant the use of an aminopropyl bonded-phase column for the isolation of free fatty acids to obtain better recovery of polyunsaturated fatty acids.     

Improved gas chromatographic method for the determination of the individual free fatty acids in cheese using a capillary column and a PTV injector

Summary A gas chromatographic method with a capillary column and a programmed temperature vaporizer injector has been used to analyze the individual free fatty acids in cheese. The lipids were extracted from an acidified cheese slurry with diethyl ether and treated with tetramethylamonium hydroxide (TMAH) to convert the free fatty acids to tetramethylammonium soaps (TMA-soaps), which were subsequently pyrolyzed to methyl esters in the injector. Carrying out injection at the initial column temperature resulted in lower dispersion of the results, but the solvent front prevented quantitative determination of butyric and caproic acids, and an injector temperature of 300°C was therefore employed. Under the conditions tested, trimethylamine (tma) flash-off did not affect the determinations. The accuracy of the method improved at higher free fatty acid contents (coefficient of variation of 0.53% for a total free fatty acid content of 9000 mg/kg as opposed to 7.0% for a total free fatty acid content of 1400 mg/kg). The recovery rate for individual free fatty acids ranged between 91 and 103%.     

Analysis of common fatty acid glycerides by gas chromatography

A method is described for the determination of 25 common fatty acid mono-, di-, and triglycerides and their components and mixtures by packed-column gas chromatography after isolation and derivatization. The method is applied to two commercial materials, a polypropylene resin and a hand lotion. The glycerides along with glycerol and free fatty acids are first separated from the host by refluxing with 2-propanol containing an internal standard. The extract is derivatized and the compounds are identified and measured by gas chromatography. The chromatograms show sharp peaks, unique retention times and reproducibility in the range of 2–5%. Several positional isomers of the fatty acid glycerides were tested but found not to be resolved under the conditions used. Optical isomers and cis-trans isomers of unsaturated acids were not tested.     

Separation and quantitation of long-chain free fatty acids in human serum by high-performance liquid chromatography

A rapid, simple and highly sensitive reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method is described for the separation and quantitation of fatty acids in human serum using a very reactive fluorescent labeling reagent, 9-anthryldiazomethane. Quantitative esterification proceeds at room temperature without heat or catalysis. Baseline separation of nineteen select fatty acids from a standard mixture was achieved on two C18-bonded silica columns connected in tandem using stepwise gradient elution of an acetonitrile-methanol-water mobile phase. The eluent was monitored by a fluorescence detector (maximum excitation wavelength, 365 nm; maximum emission wavelength, 412 nm). The procedure was applied to the analysis of both saturated and unsaturated long-chain free fatty acids (C8 to C22) extracted from human serum. Sera from fasting and non-fasting subjects were analyzed to show the applicability of this assay to biological samples. Detection limit and recovery of free fatty acids in serum were less than 10 pmol/microliter and greater than 92%, respectively.     

Simple and highly sensitive determination of free fatty acids in human serum by high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection.

A highly sensitive and simple reversed phase high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method for the quantitative determination of free fatty acids in human serum is presented. The method is based on the direct derivatization of serum fatty acids with 6,7-dimethoxy-1-methyl-2(1H)-quinoxalinone-3-propionylcarboxylic acid hydrazide. The derivatization reaction proceeds in aqueous solution in the presence of pyridine and 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide at 37 degrees C. The resulting derivatives are separated within 75 min on a reversed phase column (YMC Pack C8) with a gradient elution of aqueous acetonitrile and detected fluorimetrically. The detection limits are 2.5-5 fmol in a 10 microL injection volume. The sensitivity permits precise determination of free fatty acids in 5 microL serum. The method is simple and is without the conventional liquid-liquid extraction steps of serum fatty acids.     

Determination of Fatty Acids in Saliva of Smokers and Nonsmokers by HPLC with Fluorescence Detection Using a Hydrazine-Based Difluoro-boraindacene Reagent

1,3,5,7-Tetramethyl-8-daminozide-difluoroboradiaza-s-indacence (TMBODIPY-H), a pre-column fluorescent derivatization reagent, was applied to the analysis of fatty acid by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. Using this reagent, 12 fatty acids from propionic acid (C3) to stearic acid (C18) can be derivatized at room temperature in the presence of 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide within 2 h. The baseline separation of these derivatives can be achieved within 46 min by gradient elution. The detection limits of these fatty acids are in the range of 0.1–1 nM and the linear ranges of most of them are 0.5–100 nM. This was the first application of hydrazine-based difluoro-boraindacene reagent for the analysis of fatty acids, and the proposed method has been successfully used for the determination of saliva samples of smokers and nonsmokers with recoveries of 88–110 %.