Cod liver oil fatty acids as secondary reference standards in the GLC of polyunsaturated fatty acids of animal origin: analysis of a dermal oil of the atlantic leatherback turtle

The use of the esters of whole cod liver oil fatty acids as secondary standards in the GLC identification of animal polyunsaturated fatty acids is feasible. This technique is exemplified by an analysis on several polyester substrates of the component fatty acids of a somewhat unusual marine-type oil from the Atlantic Leatherback turtleDermochelys coriacea coriacea (Linné), with provisional identifications of minor components through the linear log plot and separation factor procedures.     

Purification process for cod liver oil polyunsaturated fatty acids

The polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20∶5n−3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22∶6n−3), which have several pharmaceutical properties, have been purified from cod liver oil. The process consisted of four main steps: (i) saponification of the oil, (ii) use of urea inclusion adducts method to obtain PUFA, (iii) PUFA methylation, and (iv) argentation silica gel column chromatography of the methylated PUFA. Argentation silica gel chromatography yielded highly pure DHA in the process (100% purity, 64% yiild). For EPA, the recovery in the combined process was 29.6%, and the final purity was 90.6%, owing to the simultaneous elution of other polyunsaturated fatty esters. The recovery in the urea inclusion method was strongly enhanced by application of orbital agitation during the crystallization process, in which EPA yield increased from 60–70% without agitation to 90–97% at 800 rpm; stearidonic acid (18∶4n−3) yield ranged from 60–75% without agitation to 87–95% at 800 rpm, and DHA yield varied from 53–73% without agitation to 85–99% at 800 rpm     

Urea-based fractionation of seed oil samples containing fatty acids and acylglycerols of polyunsaturated and hydroxy fatty acids

The selectivity and efficiency of urea complex (UC) formation-based fractionation of free fatty acids (FFA) were examined. A rapid, simple, and inexpensive procedure recently developed for urea fractionation was applied to lipid mixtures containing various polyunsaturated and hydroxy FFA species. Urea treatment proved useful for isolating polyunsaturated FFA (PUFA) from FFA derived from fish, borage, and linseed oils by removal of saturated and monounsaturated FFA, but was not effective for isolating hydroxy FFA from the FFA derived from castor, Lesquerella, and Dimorphotheca oils. In situations where FFA within the crystalline or UC phase were rich in PUFA, the urea/FFA mole ratio of the UC was relatively higher, with lower recovery of FFA in this phase. The distribution of urea between the crystalline phase and the solvent was not significantly affected by the FFA composition of feed nor the overall ratio of FFA to urea. It was strongly dependent on the overall mass fraction of solvent. Phospholipids and mono-, di-, and triacylglycerols were poor templates for UC formation relative to FFA. Their inclusion in acylglycerol mixtures containing FFA reduced UC formation.     

The formation of isomers of polyunsaturated acids during the hydrogenation of soybean oil

Summary Spectrometric and iodometric analyses of hydrogenated fats and of heat-nickel treated oils indicate that during hydrogenation there are formed isomers of polyunsaturated acids which do not react normally upon analysis, making it impossible to obtain a valid fat acid composition by the usual methods.     

Octadecatrienoic fatty acid isomers of partially hydrogenated soybean oil

The octadecatrienoic fatty acids of partially hydrogenated soybean oil (PHSBO) were concentrated, isolated and analyzed. The results indicated that the 18:3 acids present in PHSBO are composed of four isomers. The isomer present in the largest amount (2.7%) is the allcis isomer, c9,c12,c15-18:3 linolenic acid, and comprises 68.60% of all the isomeric 18:3 acids of PHSBO. The remaining three 18:3 isomers found were t9,t12,c15-,t9,c12,c15-and c9,c12,t15-18:3, which in total accounted for 1.2% of the total fatty acids of PHSBO.     

Concentration and stabilization of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids from sardine oil

A simple and relatively inexpensive procedure to obtain 90% eicosapentaenoic acid + docosahexaenoic acid concentrates from sardine oil involved a two-step winterization of the oil (10 and 4°C), followed by saponification and selective precipitation of saturated and less unsaturated free fatty acids by an ethanolic solution of urea. Antioxidant effects of butylated hydroxytoluene, dl-α-tocopherol, and two natural antioxidants, quercetin and boldine, added to the concentrate (0.5% wt/vol), were compared in the Rancimat at 60°C. dl-α-Tocopherol was unable to inhibit concentrate oxidation. Butylated hydroxyanisole and butylated hydroxytoluene had induction periods of 1.7–1.8 h compared to the control (1.0 h). A mixture of quercetin + boldine (2:1 w/w) significantly increased the induction period to 4.5 h.     

GLC and TLC analysis of isopropylidene derivatives of isomeric polyhydroxy acids derived from positional and geometrical isomers of unsaturated fatty acids

Gas-liquid chromatography (GLC) and thin-layer chromatography (TLC) were used to investigate the isomeric positional geometrical isopropylidene derivatives of nine isomeric dihydroxy esters, four isomeric methyl 9,10-12-trihydroxystearates, and eight isomeric methyl 9,10-12,13-tetrahydroxystearates prepared from unsaturated fatty acids. The isopropylidenes derived fromcis andtrans monounsaturated fatty acids were easily separated on both polar and nonpolar columns. Positional isopropylidenes derived from positional isomers of monounsaturated fatty acids were not separated on either liquid phase but were resolved by TLC. Four of the eight isomeric isopropylidenes derived from the four geometrical isomers of linoleic acid were resolved on the polar column; the other four isomers eluted as a single peak. The four isomeric isopropylidene-trifluoroacetate derivatives derived from ricinoleic and ricinelaidic acids were also resolved on the polar column. GLC analyses were carried out with liquid phases of ethylene glycol succinate methyl silicone polymer (EGSS-X) and methyl silicone polymer (SE-30) packed columns. Isopropylidenes, in addition to their applicability for the resolution of polyhydroxy acid mixtures, are particularly useful for the determination of double bond positions and geometrical configurations of fatty acids without cleavage. Under contract with the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission.     

Determination of fatty acids and some undesirable fatty acid isomers in selected Turkish margarines

The fatty acid composition and total trans fatty acid content in 10 margarines produced in Turkey were determined by capillary gas chromatography and Fourier transform‐infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR) spectroscopy. The fatty acid composition ranged as follows: saturated fatty acids, C16:0 (palmitic) 11.3 to 31.8% and C18:0 (stearic) 5.7 to 8.7%, monounsaturated fatty acids, C18:1 (oleic) 21.8 to 35.7% and C18:1 trans isomers 0.4 to 27.4%, polyunsaturated fatty acid, C18:2 linoleic acid 5.2 to 40.2%. Some positional isomers of C18:1 as cis‐11‐octadecenoic acid varied from 0.7 to 4.6% and cis‐13 trace to 2.4%. The total trans fatty acid contents were between 0.9 and 32.0% when measured with capillary gas chromatography and between 0 and 30.2% with FT‐IR spectroscopy. Some of the margarines analyzed contained trace amount of trans fatty acids which could not be detected by FT‐IR spectroscopy.     

Polyunsaturated fatty acid concentrates from borage and linseed oil fatty acids

A modified low-temperature solvent crystallization process was employed for the enrichment of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in borage and linseed oil fatty acids. The effects of solvent, operation temperature, and solvent to free fatty acid (FFA) ratio on the concentration of PUFA were investigated. The best results were achieved when a mixture of 30% acetonitrile and 70% acetone was used as the solvent. With an operation temperature of −80°C and a solvent to FFA ratio of 30 mL/g, γ-linolenic acid (GLA) in FFA of saponified borage oil can be raised from 23.4 to 88.9% with a yield of 62.0%. At a yield of 24.9%, α-linolenic acid in linseed oil can be increased from 55.0 to 85.7%. The results of this work are comparable to the best results available in the literature.     

Guinea pig epidermis generates putative anti-inflammatory metabolites from fish oil polyunsaturated fatty acids

Clinical studies have indicated that dietary fish oil may have therapeutic value in the treatment of psoriasis, a hyperproliferative, inflammatory skin disorder characterized by elevated LTB₄. To evolve a possible mechanism for these beneficial effects, we determined the metabolic fate of fish oil derived n-3 fatty acids in the skin. Specifically, we incubated guinea pig epidermal enzyme preparations with [³H]eicosapentaenoic acid (20∶5n−3) and [¹⁴C]docosahexaenoic acid (22∶6n−3). Analyses of the radiometabolites revealed the transformation of these n−3 fatty acids into n−6 lipoxygenase (arachidonate 15-lipoxygenase) products: 15-hydroxyeicosapentaenoic acid (15-HEPE) and 17-hydroxydocosahexaenoic acid (17-HDHE), respectively. Since 15-lipoxygenase products have been suggested as possible endogenous inhibitors of 5-lipoxygenase (an enzyme which catalyzes the formation of LTB₄) we tested the ability of 15-HEPE and 17-HDHEin vitro to inhibit the activity of the 5-lipoxygenase. Incubations of these metabolites with enzyme preparations from rat basophilic leukemia (RBL-1) cells demonstrated that 15-HEPE (IC₅₀=28 μM) and 17-HDHE (IC₅₀=20 μM) are respectively potent inhibitors of RBL-I-5-lipoxygenase. The inhibitory potential of these fish oil metabolites provides a possible mechanism by which fish oil might act to decrease local cutaneous levels of LTB₄, and thereby alleviate psoriatic symptoms.     

Lipase-catalyzed enrichment of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids

Lipase hydrolysis was evaluated as a means of selectively enriching long-chain ω3 fatty acids in fish oil. Several lipases were screened for their ability to enrich total ω-3 acids or selectively enrich either docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) or eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). The effect of enzyme concentration, degree of hydrolysis, and fatty acid composition of the feed oil was studied. Because the materials that were enriched in long-chain ω3 acids were either partial glycerides or free fatty acids, enzymatic reesterification of these materials to triglycerides by lipase catalysis was also investigated. Hydrolysis of fish oil by eitherCandida rugosa orGeotrichum candidum lipases resulted in an increase in the content of total ω3 acids from about 30% in the feed oil to 45% in the partial glycerides. The lipase fromC. rugosa was effective in selectively enriching either DHA or EPA, resulting in a change of either the DHA/EPA ratio or the EPA/DHA ratio from approximately 1:1 to 5:1. Nonselective reesterification of free fatty acids or partial glycerides that contained ω3 fatty acids could be achieved at high efficiency (approximately 95% triglycerides in the product) by using immobilizedRhizomucor miehei lipase with continuous removal of water.     

Industrial chemical uses of polyunsaturated fatty acids

Production of vegetable, animal and marine oils containing more than about 40% unsaturated fatty acids totaled 15,000 million pounds in 1968, almost on the scale of petrochemical production. The greater share (64%) of this nonfossil oil production was directed toward food uses, the remainder toward industrial and animal feed uses. The variety of chemical reactions carried out on these unsaturated fatty acid products include hydrogenation, interesterification, dimerization, sulfation, formation of nitrogen compounds, epoxidation, alkaline cleavage and oxidative ozonolysis. Some of these reactions have been developed at Utilization Research and Development Divisions of the Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Research is continuing in developing new reactions for potential industrial application. An example is reductive ozonolysis of unsaturated fatty esters to produce monofunctional aldehydes and bifunctional aldehyde esters. Presented at the ISF-AOCS World Congress, Chicago, September 1970. No. Market. Nutr. Res. Div., ARS, USDA.     

Oxidative stability of polyunsaturated fatty acids and soybean oil in an aqueous solution with emulsifiers

The oxidative stability of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and soybean oil homogenized with emulsifiers was investigated. Model emulsions were prepared from PUFA, including linoleic acid (LA), arachidonic acid (AA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and from soybean oil emulsified with different emulsifiers: three Tween emulsifiers (Tween 20, Tween 60, Tween 80) and two sucrose esters (S-1170 and S-1570) were used. The results showed that the emulsions prepared from LA and the various emulsifiers, oxidized at 40°C, were unstable. However, the corresponding AA, EPA, and DHA emulsions were stable, indicating that PUFA with a higher degree of unsaturation were more stable with emulsifiers than without the emulsifiers. In the soybean oil-in-water model system, the oxidation of soybean oil with various emulsifiers was less than without the emulsifiers.     

Neonatal polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolism

The importance of n−6 and n−3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in neonatal development, particularly with respect to the developing brain and retina, is well known. This review combines recent information from basic science and clinical studies to highlight recent advances in knowledge on PUFA metabolism and areas where research is still needed on infant n−6 and n−3 fatty acid requirements. Animal, cell culture, and infant studies are consistent in demonstrating that synthesis of 22∶6n−3 involves C24 PUFA and that the amounts of 18∶2n−6 and 18∶3n−3 influence PUFA metabolism. Studies to show that addition of n−6 fatty acids beyond Δ6-desaturase alters n−6 fatty acid metabolism with no marked increase in tissue 20∶4n−6 illustrate the limitations of analyses of tissue fatty acid compositions as an approach to study the effects of diet on fatty acid metabolism. New information to show highly selective pathways for n−6 and n−3 fatty acid uptake in brain, and efficient path-ways for conservation of 22∶6n−3 in retina emphasizes the differences in PUFA metabolism among different tissues and the unique features which allow the brain and retina to accumulate and maintain high concentrations of n−3 fatty acids. Further elucidation of the Δ6-desaturases involved in 24∶5n−6 and 22∶6n−3 synthesis; the regulation of fatty acid movement between the endoplasmic reticulum and peroxisomes; partitioning to acylation, desaturation and oxidation; and the effects of dietary and hormonal factors on these pathways is needed for greater understanding of neonatal PUFA metabolism.     

Production of triglycerides enriched in long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids from fish oil

Processes that combine enzymic and physical techniques have been studied for concentrating and separating eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) from fish oil.Candida rugosa lipase was used in hydrolysis reactions to concentrate these acids in the glyceride fraction. By controlling the degree of hydrolysis, two products have been obtained, one enriched in total n-3(∼50%), the other enriched in DHA and depleted in EPA (DHA∼40%, EPA∼7%). The glyceride fraction from these reactions was recovered by evaporation and converted back to triglycerides by partial enzymic hydrolysis, followed by enzymic esterification. Both reactions were carried out withRhizomucor miehei lipase. DHA-depleted free fatty acids from aC. rugosa hydrolysis were fractionated to increase the EPA level (∼30%) and re-esterified to triglycerides by reaction with glycerol andR. miehei.     

The deposition of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the rat fed partially hydrogenated vegetable oil

The composition of deposited polyenoic fatty acids in rats fed liquid or partially hydrogenated corn oil was determined by gas chromatography, which did not distinguish isomeric forms, and by lipoxidase which reacted with thecis, cis-methylene-interrupted acids. The two methods gave similar results for the liver fatty acids of rats fed either the unhydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil. Of the fatty acids from the epididymal fat pads of rats fed the hydrogenated product, an appreciable quantity of linoleate isomers did not react with lipoxidase. The total amount of linoleic acid deposited was related to the total fatty acid pattern of the dietary oil. It appeared that thetrans-acids were mostly metab-olized and that the originalcis,cis-linoleic acid remaining in the partially hydrogenated product was preferentially incorporated into tissues. One of 10 papers to be published from the Symposium “Hydrogenation” presented at the AOCS Meeting, New Orleans, April 1970.     

Enzymatic enrichment of C20 cis-5 polyunsaturated fatty acids fromBiota orientalis seed oil

Enrichment ofcis-5 polyunsaturated fatty acids [20:3(5c,11c,14c), 4.3% and 20:4(5c,11c,14c,17c), 11.3%] fromBiota orientalis seed oil was carried out by lipase-catalyzed selective esterification and hydrolysis reactions. Lipases fromRhizomucor miehei (Lipozyme),Candida cylindracea and porcine pancreas were used. Lipozyme-catalyzed esterification ofBiota fatty acids withn-butanol inn-hexane allowed 20:3 and 20:4 (as fatty acids) to be enriched to a maximum level of 52.9%, and in the presence ofC. cylindracea lipase 61.5% enrichment was achieved. Esterification with pancreatic lipase was poor with low levels of enrichment of 20:3 and 20:4 (22%). A multigram scale esterification of the free fatty acids fromBiota seed oil by repeated treatment of the isolated fatty acid fraction withn-butanol inn-hexane in the presence ofC. cylindracea lipase furnished an enrichment yield of 72.5% of a mixture of 20:3 and 20:4 fatty acids. Urea fractionation of the free fatty acids ofBiota oil gave an initial enriched fraction of 20:3 (9.5%) and 20:4 (25.2%) which, upon treatment withC. cylindracea lipase inn-butanol andn-hexane, gave an enriched fraction of 85.3% of 20:3 and 20:4 fatty acids. Partial hydrolysis of the triglycerides ofBiota oil byC. cylindracea lipase in potassium phosphate buffer at 25°C resulted in a 2.8-fold enrichment ofcis-5 polyunsaturated fatty acids (40.8% of 20:3 and 20:4) as contained in the unhydrolyzed acylglycerol fractions.     

Purification of polyunsaturated fatty acid esters from tuna oil with supercritical fluid chromatography

The technical and economic feasibility of producing docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)- and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)-ethyl ester concentrates from transesterified tuna oil using supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) was studied. A systematic experimental procedure was used to find the optimal values for process parameters and the maximal production rate. DHA ester concentrates up to 95 wt% purity were obtained in one chromatographic step with SFC, using CO₂ as the mobile phase at 65°C and 145 bar and octadecyl silane-type reversed-phase silica as the stationary phase. DHA ester, 0.85 g/(kg stationary phase · h) and 0.23 g EPA ester/(kg stationary phase · h) can be simutaneously produced at the respective purities of 90 and 50 wt%. The process for producing 1,000 kg DHA concentrate and 410 kg EPA concentrate per year requires 160 kg stationary phase and 2.6 tons/h carbon dioxide eluant recycle. The SFC operating cost is U.S. $550/kg DHA and EPA ethyl ester concentrate.