Separation of molecular species ofcis- andtrans-triacylglycerols intrans-hardened confectionery fats by silver-ion high-performance liquid chromatography

Silver-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) on silver nitrate-loaded silica achieves incomplete separation of major triacylglycerol (TAG) classes present intrans-hardened fats. The “ChromSpher Lipids” silverloaded cation exchange HPLC column has been found to yield good separations oftrans-hardened TAG, with molecular species well resolved. Separations comparable to those previously possible for nonhardened fats are now possible fortrans-hardened fats. The separation is on the basis of number and type (i.e.cis/trans) of double bonds only; the position of the double bond along the acyl group appears not to influence the separation significantly. The analysis of a palm fraction, hardened to a slip melting point of 37°C and chemically randomized, is presented as an example. This technique offers a new approach to understanding and controlling the hydrogenation and processing oftrans-hardened fats.     

Analysis of the monoenoic fatty acid distribution in hydrogenated vegetable oils by silver-ion high-performance liquid chromatography

A silver-ion high-performance liquid chromatography column (hexane/acetonitrile as solvent, ultraviolet detection) was used to analyze the fatty acid distribution (as fatty acid methyl esters) of a representative sample of hydrogenated oil. Fractions containingcis- andtrans-18:1 isomers were readily separated. The positional fatty acid isomers were separated by rechromatographing these fractions. The elution order and percent compositions were compared with results obtained by gas chromatography. Of the Δ8 to Δ14trans-18:1 isomers, only the Δ8 and Δ9 pair could not be separated. The Δ8 and Δ9cis-18:1 pair also could not be separated, and the Δ10 isomer was poorly separated from this pair. Area percents were comparable to results obtained by gas chromatography.     

Analysis of C18:1 cis and trans fatty acid isomers by the combination of gas-liquid chromatography of 4,4-dimethyloxazoline derivatives and methyl esters

Trans fatty acids in foods are usually analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography (GLC) of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME). However, this method may produce erroneously low values because of insufficient separation between cis and trans isomers. Separation can be optimized by preceding silver-ion thin-layer chromatography (Ag-TLC), but this is laborious. We have developed an efficient method for the separation of 18-carbon trans fatty acid isomers by combining GLC of FAME with GLC of fatty acid 4,4-dimethyloxazoline (DMOX) derivatives. We validated this method against conventional GLC of FAME, with and without preceding Ag-TLC. Fatty acid isomers were identified by comparison with standards, based on retention times and mass spectrometry. Analysis of DMOX derivatives allowed the 13t, 14t, and 15t isomers to be separated from the cis isomers. The combination of the GLC analyses of FAME and DMOX derivatives gave results comparable with those obtained by GLC of FAME after preceding Ag-TLC, while saving about 100 h of manpower per 25 samples. It allowed the identification and quantitation of 11 trans and 8 cis isomers and resulted in 25% higher values for total C_18:1 trans, compared with the analysis of FAME alone. The combination of DMOX and FAME analyses, as applied to the analysis of 14 foods that contained ruminant fat and partially hydrogenated vegetable and fish oils, indicated that the most common isomers were 11t in ruminant fats, 9t in partially hydrogenated fish fats, and either 9t or 10t in partially hydrogenated vegetable fats. The combination of GLC analyses of FAME and DMOX derivatives of fatty acids improves the quantitation of 18-carbon fatty acid isomers and may replace the laborious and time-consuming Ag-TLC.     

Separation and quantitation of hydroxy and epoxy fatty acid by high-performance liquid chromatography with an evaporative light-scattering detector

A new high-performance liquid chromatography technique with an evaporative light-scattering detector (ELSD) has been developed for the separation and quantitative analysis of hydroxy and epoxy fatty acids. This method employs a gradual binary gradient (hexane/isopropanol) and ELSD detection. The minimum limit of detection is about 1 μg and ratio of mass to signal is essentially linear in the range of 10 to 200 μg. This high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) technique is able to separate various positional isomers of mono-hydroxy and dihydroxy fatty acids and can also discriminate between monohydroxy, epoxy, epoxyhydroxy, dihydroxy and trihydroxy fatty acids.     

The regiospecific position of 18∶1 cis and trans monoenoic fatty acids in milk fat triacylglycerols

TAG of butterfat were fractionated according to the type and degree of unsaturation into six fractions by silver-ion HPLC. The fractions containing TAG with either cis-or trans-monoenoic FA were collected and fractionated further by reversed-phase HPLC to obtain fractions containing cis TAG of ACN:DB (acyl carbon number:double bonds) 48∶1, 50∶1, and 52∶1 as well as trans 48∶1, 50∶1, and 52∶1. The FA compositions of these fractions were elucidated by GC. The MW distribution of each fraction was determined by ammonia negative-ion CI-MS. Each of the [M-H]⁻ parent ions was fractionated further by collision-induced dissociation with argon, which gave information on the location of cis-and trans-FA between the primary and secondary positions of TAG. The results suggest that the sn-positions of the monoenoic cis-and trans-FA depend on the two other FA present in the molecule. With 14∶0 FA in the TAG molecule, the 18∶1 FA in the sn-2 position are mostly present as cis-isomers. When there is no 14∶0 in the TAG molecule, the trans-18∶1 isomers seem to be more common in the sn-2 position. Also when other long-chain FA are present, the trans-isomers are more likely to be located in the secondary (sn-2) position.     

Analysis of tocopherols in vegetable oils by high-performance liquid chromatography: Comparison of fluorescence and evaporative light-scattering detection

A comparison of the responses of an evaporative light-scattering detector (ELSD) and a fluorescence detector for tocopherols in vegetable oils by high-performance liquid chromatography is presented. The tocopherols were separated from acylglycerols by gel-permeation chromatography (GPC). The tocopherol fraction was collected off a set of four GPC columns with a mobile phase of methylene chloride before separation on a normal-phase silica column with a mobile phase of hexane/isopropanol, 99.7∶0.3 (vol/vol). An internal standard of 5,7 dimethyltocol, which was detected by both the ELSD and fluorescence detector, was used to obtain quantitative data. The fluorescence detector was ten times more sensitive than the ELSD. γ-Tocopherol was the major tocopherol detected in the vegetable oils studied and ranged from 24.1–93.3 mg/100 g. The amounts of tocopherols found in the vegetable oils agreed favorably with the literature values.     

Evaluation of sequential methods for the determination of butterfat fatty acid composition with emphasis ontrans-18:1 acids. Application to the study of seasonal variations in french butters

The successive steps of an integrated analytical procedure aimed at the accurate determination of butterfat fatty acid composition, includingtrans-18:1 acid content and profile, have been carefully checked. This sequential procedure includes: dispersion of a portion of butter in hexane/isopropanol (2:1, vol/vol) with anhydrous Na₂SO₄, filtration of aliquots of the suspension through a microfiltration unit, subsequent preparation of fatty acid isopropyl esters (FAIPE) with H₂SO₄ as a catalyst, and analysis of total FAIPE by capillary gas-liquid chromatography (GLC). Isolation oftrans-18:1 isomers was by silver-ion thin-layer chromatography (Ag-TLC), followed by extraction from the gel of combined saturated andtrans-monoenoic acids with a biphasic solvent system. Analysis of these fractions by GLC allows the accurate quantitation oftrans-18:1 acids with saturated acids (14:0, 16:0, and 18:0) as internal standards. A partial insight in the distribution oftrans-18:1 isomers can be obtained by GLC on a CP Sil 88 capillary column (Chrompack, Middelburg, The Netherlands). All steps of the procedure are quite reproducible, part of the coefficients of variation (generally less than 3%, mainly limited to butyric and stearic acids) being associated with GLC analysis (injection, integration of peaks) and, to a lesser extent, to FAIPE preparation. FAIPE appear to be of greater practical interest than any other fatty acid esters, including fatty acid methyl esters (FAME), for the quantitation of short-chain fatty acids, because peak area percentages, calculated by the integrator coupled to the flame-ionization detector, are almost equal (theoretically and experimentally) to fatty acid weight percentages and do not require correction factors. With this set of procedures, we have followed in detail the seasonal variations of fatty acids in butterfat, with sixty commercial samples of French butter collected at five different periods of the year. Important variations occur around mid-April, when cows are shifted from forage and concentrates during winters spent in their stalls to fresh grass in pastures. At this period, there is a decrease of 4:0–14:0 acids and of 16:0 (−2 and −6%, respectively), while 18:0 andcis- plustrans-18:1 acids rise suddenly (2 and 5%, respectively). These modifications then progressively disappear until late fall or early winter. Other variations are of minor quantitative importance. Although influenced by the season, the content of 18:2n-6 acid lies in the narrow range of 1.2–1.5%.Trans-18:1 acids, quantitated by GLC after Ag-TLC fractionation, are at their highest level in May–June (4.3% of total fatty acids), and at their lowest level between January and the end of March (2.4%), with a mean annual value of 3.3%. The proportion of vaccenic (trans-11 18:1) acid, relative to totaltrans-18:1 isomers, is higher in spring than in winter, with intermediate decreasing values in summer and fall, which supports the hypothesis that the level of this isomer is linked to the feed of the cattle, and probably to the amount of grass in the feed.     

Determination of trace amounts of fatty acids in edible oils by capillary gas-liquid chromatography

The effect of using different gas-liquid chromatography (GLC) hardware to quantify low concentrations of fatty acids was studies. A fused-silica capillary column was operated in two different chromatographs (A and B) that were interfaced to three different chromatographic data systems to process the flame-ionization detector signals (systems A, B1, and B2). A test routine was developed that allowed the proper selection of peak processing parameters for the automatic recognition and integration of fatty acids occurring at trace levels. However, agreement of analytical results between the three analytical systems was not satisfactory; components at concentrations <0.10 g/100 g could not be quantified with high reliability, although the same capillary column and identical sample solutions were used (quasi-repeatability conditions). Even for major fatty acids, deviations up to 1.0 g/100 g were noted, which could only be attributed to the use of different GLC hardware. Attention should be paid to these technical restrictions when formulating product specifications based on fatty acid profile parameters.     

Determination of free fatty acids in marine phytoplankton causing red tides by fluorometric high-performance liquid chromatography

The proportion and content of free fatty acids (FFA) in four species of causative phytoplankton of red tides, cultured in axenic conditions, were obtained by fluorometric high-performance liquid chromatography. Twelve FFA in phytoplankton were identified. Raphidophyte flagellates,Chattonella antiqua andHeterosigma akashiwo, contained highly unsaturated fatty acids and 16:0 acid as the predominant FFA. Major FFA in diatoms,Skeletonema costatum andChaetoceros didymum, were 14:0, 16:0, 16:1, and 20:5 acids.     

Jojoba wax: Its esters and some of its minor components

A lack of reliability in the usual determinations of fatty acids and fatty alcohols of jojoba wax prompted us to propose an original method of hydrolysis and extraction, making it possible to better determine the composition of fatty acids and alcohols of the wax. High-performance liquid chromatography fractionation of the wax allowed isolation of four main classes of esters (which differed by their partition number). The detailed study of these ester classes emphasized the way acids and alcohols are connected, and fourteen distinct esters were thus identified. Some triacylglycerols, free fatty alcohols and other minor components of jojoba wax were found and quantitated. Seven sterols were identified, four for the first time.     

Analysis of alpha-linolenic acid geometrical isomers in deodorized oils by capillary gas-liquid chromatography on cyanoalkyl polysiloxane stationary phases: A note of caution

Analysis of alpha-linolenic acid geometrical isomers in deodorized or heated oils by capillary gas-liquid chromatography (GLC) on polar cyanoalkyl polysiloxane stationary phases requires some care to avoid interferences with other fatty acids. Depending on the temperature of the column, thecis-11 20∶1 acid may elute before, with or after thecis-9,cis-12,cis-15 18∶3 acid during GLC. In some instances [temperature higher than 180°C with a CP Sil 88 column (Chrompack, Middelburg, The Netherlands)], the 20∶1 acid coelutes with thetrans-9,cis-12,cis-15 18∶3 acid, leading to abnormally high levels of this last isomer. Consequently, the degree of isomerization of alpha-linolenic acid will be over-estimated under such conditions. It is recommended that the behavior ofcis-11 20∶1 acid relative to temperature be checked carefully prior to the determination of alpha-linolenic acid geometrical isomers by GLC. Temperatures lower than 160°C seem appropriate to separate all of these components from each other and fromcis-11 20∶1 acid in a 50 m×0.25 mm i.d. CP Sil 88 capillary column.     

Fatty acid composition and contents of trans monounsaturated fatty acids in frying fats, and in margarines and shortenings marketed in Denmark

This study examined trans monounsaturated fatty acid contents in all margarines and shortenings marketed in Denmark, and in frying fats used by the fast-food restaurants Burger King and McDonald’s. Trans C_18:1 content was 4.1±3.8% (g per 100 g fatty acids) in hard margarines, significantly higher than the content in soft margarines of 0.4±0.8%. Shortenings had an even higher content of trans C_18:1, 6.7±2.3%, than the hard margarines. Margarines and shortenings with high contents of long-chain fatty acids had about 20% total trans monoenoic of which close to 50% were made up of trans long-chain fatty acids. Both fast-food frying fats contained large amounts of trans C_18:1, 21.9±2.9% in Burger King and 16.6±0.4% in McDonald’s. In Denmark the per capita supply of trans C_18:1 from margarines and shortenings and frying fats has decreased steadily during recent years. The supply of trans C_18:1 from margarines and shortenings in the Danish diet is now 1.1 g per day.     

Fatty acid composition and contents of trans monounsaturated fatty acids in frying fats, and in margarines and shortenings marketed in Denmark

This study examined trans monounsaturated fatty acid contents in all margarines and shortenings marketed in Denmark, and in frying fats used by the fast-food restaurants Burger King and McDonald’s. Trans C_18:1 content was 4.1±3.8% (g per 100 g fatty acids) in hard margarines, significantly higher than the content in soft margarines of 0.4±0.8%. Shortenings had an even higher content of trans C_18:1, 6.7±2.3%, than the hard margarines. Margarines and shortenings with high contents of long-chain fatty acids had about 20% total trans monoenoic of which close to 50% were made up of trans long-chain fatty acids. Both fast-food frying fats contained large amounts of trans C_18:1, 21.9±2.9% in Burger King and 16.6±0.4% in McDonald’s. In Denmark the per capita supply of trans C_18:1 from margarines and shortenings and frying fats has decreased steadily during recent years. The supply of trans C_18:1 from margarines and shortenings in the Danish diet is now 1.1 g per day.     

Determination of trans fatty acids and fatty acid profiles in margarines marketed in spain

Two gas chromatography (GC) procedures were compared for routine analysis of trans fatty acids (TFA) of vegetable margarines, one direct with a 100-m high-polarity column and the other using argentation thin-layer chromatography and GC. There was no difference (P>0.05) in the total trans 18∶1 percentage of margarines with a medium level of TFA (∼18%) made using either of the procedures. Both methods offer good repeatability for determination of total trans 18∶1 percentage. The recoveries of total trans isomers of 18∶1 were not influenced (P>0.1) by the method used. Fatty acid composition of 12 Spanish margarines was determined by the direct GC method. The total contents of trans isomers of oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acids ranged from 0.15 to 20.21, from 0.24 to 0.99, and from 0 to 0.47%, respectively, and the mean values were 8.18, 0.49, and 0.21%. The mean values for the ratios [cis-polyunsaturated/(saturated +TFA)] and [(cis-polyunsaturated + cis-monounsaturated)/(saturated +TFA)] were 1.25±0.39 and 1.92±0.43, respectively. Taking into account the annual per capita consumption of vegetable margarine, the mean fat content of the margarines (63.5%), and the mean total TFA content (8.87%), the daily per capita consumption of TFA from vegetable margarines by Spaniards was estimated at about 0.2 g/person/d.     

Combination of silver ion and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography in the fractionation of herring oil triacylglycerols

Triacylglycerols from North Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) were separated according to the degree of unsaturation by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in the silver ion mode. Each of the eleven fractions collected was then separated by reversed- phase HPLC, which in these circumstances separated the molecules according to the combined chain- lengths of the fatty acyl residues only. One hundred thirty fractions were obtained for fatty acid analysis. Almost 50% of the triacylglycerol molecules had six or more double bonds in their fatty acyl residues. Saturated-dimonoenes and disaturated- monoenes, 18.9% and 10.4%, respectively, were the most plentiful fractions of the more saturated species. Such a complex mixture of molecules was present that the most abundant subfractions from reversed- phase HPLC represented less than 5% of the total. Indeed, the largest single molecular species [16:0- 22:l- 22:6(n− 3)] represented only 2.8% of the total. These sequential analyses by complementary techniques made it possible to obtain a considerable amount of information on the composition of molecular species, but it was still not possible to identify all components.     

A comparison of high-performance liquid chromatography and spectrophotometry to measure chlorophyll in canola seed and oil

There are several methods available to measure chlorophyll in canola oil and seed, and these will not necessarily yield the same results and should not be used in terchangeably. Total chlorophyll was determined for samples of canola seed and commercial canola oil by recognized spectrophotometric methods and by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The HPLC method, which summed all chlorophyll-related pigments detected, found approximately 1.4 times more total chlorophyll per sample than did the spectrophotometric methods. The spectrophotometric methods are calibrated with only chlorophyll a and underestimate other chlorophyll pigments, which have lower extinction, coefficients and different absorption maxima. The HPLC method detects each pigment at its absorption maxima and applies the appropriate absorptivity factor. Care must be taken when comparing results obtained by different methods. There appears to be a need for a standardized method of chlorophyll pigment measurement by HPLC.     

Study of neutral lipids ofLupinus mutabilis meal and isolates

Two types of protein isolates have been obtained from defattedLupinus mutabilis meal. The isolates, MA and MB, were obtained by alkaline extraction with 0.2% NaOH and 0.25% sodium bisulfite, respectively, followed by precipitation at the isoelectric point (pH 4.8). Total associated lipids were extracted with 86% ethanol. Neutral lipids were separated in a Florisil column. The lipids in the isolates were similar to those found in the original meal. The following types of compounds were separated, identified, and quantitated: hydrocarbons, waxes, methyl esters, triacylglycerols, free fatty acids, diacylglycerols, and free sterols.     

Analysis ofcis- andtrans-fatty acid isomers in hydrogenated and refined vegetable oils by capillary gas-liquid chromatography

For quantitation ofcis- andtrans-fatty acid isomers, infrared (IR) spectroscopy, gas-liquid chromatography (GLC) on highly polar stationary phases or the combination (GLC-IR) may be used. IR offers the advantage of simplicity and speed, but the lower determination limit of 5% and the lack of detailed information limit its use. Detailed fatty acid information, required for, e.g., food-labeling purposes, can only be obtained with GLC methods. Most of the GLC methods are optimized for partially hydrogenated samples. AOCS Official Method Ce 1c-89 prescribes a single, highly polar stationary phase, SP2340, but underestimates the amount oftrans isomers due to 18∶1 positional isomer overlap. The combined GLC-IR method may circumvent this problem but at the cost of time, effort, and precision.Trans isomers in refined (deodorized or stripped) oils are different in type and levels from isomers in partially hydrogenated oils; theirtrans isomers are mono-trans trienoic and dienoic isomers, occurring at levels up to about 1–3%. GLC conditions for hydrogenated samples are often not suitable for refined oils because of overlap problems, but this time in the 18∶3 region. Through careful selection of stationary phase and temperature program optimization (Drylab^®GC), we have developed a single method that is suitable for hydrogenated, as well as refined, processed oils. The accuracy was checked withcis andtrans fatty acid fractions isolated by silverion exchange high-performance liquid chromatography. Thetrans values obtained with the optimized method are in good agreement with the results obtained for the isolated fractions. We propose that recommended methods describe GLC conditions in terms of separation criteria rather than recommending only a fixed combination of stationary phase and temperature program.     

Biologically active secondary metabolites of barley. III. A method for identification and quantification of hordenine and gramine in barley by high-performance liquid chromatography

A method was devised for the extraction and quantification of hordenine and gramine from barley (Hordeum vulgare) tissue using HPLC techniques. Quantification was by peak area, the relationship between peak area and concentration of authentic standards being linear for both hordenine and gramine. Significant differences in the ability of three lines of barley to produce hordenine and gramine were detected using this method.     

Proportions of C18∶1n−7 and C18∶1n−9 fatty acids in canola seedcoat surface and internal lipids

Lipids of canola seedcoats (Brassica napus L. andB. rapa L.) were prepared by surface washing and by complete extraction of seed coats with toluene. The major fatty acyl-containing triacylglycerols, wax esters and free fatty acids were separated by thin-layer chromatography prior to transesterification and analysis by gas-liquid chromatography. The proportion of C18∶1n−7 to C18∶1n−9 was higher in the extracted lipids than in the surface-washed lipids for all three classes.