Use of dried blood for measurement of trans fatty acids

Background  

Fatty acid measurements especially trans fatty acid has gained interest in recent times. Among the various available biomarkers, adipose tissue is considered to be the best for the long term dietary intake but the invasive nature of tissue aspiration reduces its utility. Phlebotomy is a much less invasive method of sample collection when a large number of participants are involved in the study and therefore is an alternative, most suitable for large population based studies. In the present study fatty acid (with special emphasis on trans fatty acid) extraction from blood spotted and dried on filter paper was carried out to simplify the sample collection procedure and transportation.