Analysis of autoxidized fats by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry: III. Methyl linolenate

The gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method developed in the preceding papers was extended to the analysis of autoxidation products of methyl linolenate. Four isomeric hydroxy allylic trienes with a conjugated diene system were identified after reduction of the linolenate hydroperoxides. All eight geometrictrans,cis- andtrans, trans-conjugated diene isomers of these hydroxy allylic compounds were identified and partially separated by GC of the trimethylsilyl (TMS) ether derivatives. The proportion found of 9- and 16-hydroperoxides was significantly higher (75–81%) than the 12- and 13-hydroperoxides (18–25%). The tendency of the 12- and 13-hydroperoxides to form cyclic peroxides, cyclic peroxidehydroperoxides, and prostaglandin-like endoperoxides was supported by indirect evidence for the presence of 9,10,12- and 13,15,16-trihydroxyoctadecanoate in hydrogenated derivatives of the highly oxygenated products. The quantitative GC-MS method was used to determine the relative contribution of linolenate, linoleate, and oleate in mixtures to the formation of hydroperoxides. Presented at the AOCS Meeting, New York, May 1977.     

Oxidation of lipids: III. Oxidation of methyl linoleate in solution

The effects of oxygen pressure, substrate concentration and solvent on the rate and products of oxidation of methyl linoleate were studied at 50 C with azobisisobutyronitrile as a radical initiator. The absolute and quantitative numbers for oxygen uptake, substrate disappearance, and formation of conjugated diene and hydroperoxides were measured. Under the present conditions, 4 conjugated diene hydroperoxides, 13-hydroperoxy-9-cis, 11-trans-(2a), 13-hydroperoxy-9-trans, 11-trans-(3a), 9-hydroperoxy-10-trans, 12-cis-(4a), and 9-hydroperoxy-10-trans, 12-trans-(5a) octadecadienoic acid methyl esters, were formed almost quantitatively. The rate of oxidation decreased with decreasing oxygen pressure. However, the ratio ofcis,trans totrans,trans hydroperoxides, (2a+4a)/(3a+5a), was independent of oxygen pressure, and this ratio increased with increasing methyl linoleate concentration, as found recently by Porter. Further, the rate of oxidation and the ratio ofcis,trans/trans,trans hydroperoxides were dependent on solvent and increased with an increase in dielectric constant of solvent. A mechanism of methyl linoleate oxidation consistent with these results is discussed. Presented at the 15th Symposium on Oxidation Reactions, Nagoya, October 1981.     

Alkali isomerization of linoleate isomers: Characterization of products

Geometrical isomers of methyl linoleate were reacted with alakli, and the resulting conjugated isomers were separated intotrans,trans;cis,trans; andcis,cis fractions. The position of double bonds in the various fractions was determined by reductive ozonolysis.trans-9,trans-12-Isomer of linoleate formedtrans,trans- andcis,trans-conjugated dienes, whereascis-9,trans-12- andtrans-9,cis-12-isomers in addition formedcis,cis-conjugated dienes. The formation of the products is in accordance with the theoretical predictions. During conjugationtrans double bonds shifted to form atrans bond preferentially. During conjugation ofcis-9,trans-12- andtrans-9,cis-12-linoleate isomers, thecis double bond shifted preferentially over thetrans double bond. A small amount of diene not conjugated was probably a geometrical and positional isomer of the starting material.     

Concurrent oxidation of accumulated hydroperoxides in the autoxidation of methyl linoleate

Summary 1. Kinetic studies showed that concurrent oxidation of preformed hydroperoxides may be expected to take place at all stages of the autoxidation of methyl linoleate. The rate of oxidation relative to the rate of autoxidation of unoxidized ester is determined chiefly by the extent of the accumulation of hydroperoxides. 2. Infrared spectral analysis of hydroperoxides oxidized to various degrees indicated thattrans, trans diene conjugation and isolatedtrans double bonds produced in the autoxidation of methyl linoleate are related to the concurrent oxidation of the accumulated hydroperoxides. 3. The low absorptivity observed for diene conjugation, compared to that which may be expected for the exclusive production ofcis, trans diene conjugated hydroperoxide isomers during the autoxidation of methyl linoleate is attributed to the concurrent oxidation of accumulated hydroperoxides. 4. The effect of antioxidants in giving a well-defined induction period in the oxidation of hydroperoxides isolated from autoxidized methyl linoleate indicated that the oxidation proceeds by a chain reaction. 5. The primary reaction products of the oxidation of hydroperoxides isolated from autoxidized methyl linoleate were found to be polymers formed in a sequence of reaction involving the diene conjugation. 6. Studies on the autoxidation of methylcis-9,trans-11-linoleate showed thatcis, trans isomerization of the conjugated diene took place with the concurrent production of isolatedtrans double bonds and loss of diene conjugation. Hormel Institute publication no. 138. Presented before the American Oil Chemists’ Society, Philadelphia, Pa., Oct. 10–12, 1955. This work was supported by a grant from the Hormel Foundation.     

Photochemical oxidation of fatty acid esters with and without chlorophyll

1. It has been confirmed that the principal products formed in the oxidation of methyl oleate by oxygen under a variety of conditions are predominantlytrans hydroperoxides. However no inversion of the double bond occurs in unoxidized oleate. Hence the conversion ofcis totrans double bonds and peroxide formation occur together in the same molecules.
2. The autoxidation of methyl linoleate at low temperature yields predominantlycis,trans conjugated hydroperoxides. Autoxidation at 25°C., oxidation catalyzed by visible light, or ultraviolet light and copper soap catalyzed oxidation at temperatures appreciably above 0°C., lead to the formation primarily oftrans,trans conjugated hydroperoxides. The inversion of the second double bond in this case appears to be independent of the peroxide-forming reactions.
3. The photochlorophyll oxidation of methyl linoleate leads to the formation of some unconjugated hydroperoxides, some of which containtrans double bonds.
4. Under all of the conditions employed in the present investigation, the oxidation of methyl oleate and linoleate led primarily to the formation of monomeric peroxides which retained most of the unsaturation of the parent compound.

     

Industrial hydrogenation of cottonseed oil: A compositional study

Intermediate samples during a typical plant hydrogenation of cottonseed oil for vanaspati (shortening) manufacture have been examined for their fatty acid composition by gas-liquid chromatography andtrans isomers content by infrared spectrophotometry. In the initial stages, hydrogenation of linoleate proceeds almost exclusively in preference to that of oleate. During this period,trans isomers are also formed at a rapid rate. It has been proposed that this high selectivity and hightrans isomer formation are linked to the formation of conjugated diene from linoleate as a first step in the hydrogenation. It has been found that a linear relationship exists between the linoleate content and thetrans isomers content or the^k10.38 μ values of the glycerides. The practical utility of this plot is that it can be employed as a guide to arrest the process at any desired linoleate level.     

High-pressure liquid chromatography of autoxidized lipids: I. Methyl oleate and linoleate

Autoxidized methyl oleate and linoleate were reduced with NaBH₄ and fractionated with a preparative high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) reverse phase column. Products characterized from reduced-oxidized oleate included monohydroxy- and dihydroxyotadecenoates, dihydroxy- and epoxyoctadecanoates. Products characterized from reduced-oxidized linoleate included hydroxy-cis,trans- andtrans,trans-octadecadienoates, monohydroxy-, dihydroxy-, trihydroxy-, epoxyhydroxy-, and epoxyoctadecenoates. Quantitation of oxidation products by HPLC was in agreement with gas chromatography of trimethylsilyl ether derivative. Epoxyoctadecanoate in oleate and epoxy- and epoxyhydroxyoctadecenoates in linoleate were the most abundant secondary oxidation products. Some mechanisms are discussed to explain formation of these secondary products.     

Selective hydrogenation with copper catalysts: V. Kinetics and mechanism at high pressure

The mechanism of hydrogenation at 900~950 psi with copper-chromite catalyst was investigated with pure methyl esters as well as their mixtures. A comparison of double bond distribution intrans-monoenes formed during hydrogenation of linoleate and alkali-conjugated linoleate revealed that 85~95% of the double bonds in linoleate conjugated prior to hydrogenation. The mode of hydrogen addition to conjugated triene and diene at high pressure is similar to that at low pressure but positional and geometric isomerizations of unreduced conjugated esters were less at high pressure. Geometric isomerization of methyl linoleate and linolenate was considerable at high pressure whereas it was negligible at low pressure. The absence of conjugated products during hydrogenation of polyunsaturated fatty acid esters resulted from their high reactivity. Conjugated dienes are 12 times more reactive than the triene, methyl linolenate, and 31 times more reactive than the diene, methyl linoleate. The products of methyl linolenate hydrogenation were the same as those predicted by the conjugation mechanism. Presented at the 70th Annual Meeting of the American Oil Chemists' Society, San Francisco, April 29~May 3, 1979.     

Vicinally unsaturated hydroxy acids in seed oils

Summary The interference of certain unsaturated hydroxy acids in the Durbetaki method of epoxide determination has been demonstrated. The concentrations of these constituents were determined concurrently with those of epoxy components by measurement of the near infrared spectra of samples before and after treatment with anhydrous ethereal hydrogen chloride. The individual hydroxy esters were separated and isolated from samples of mixed esters by thinlayer chromatography. GLC of these esters resulted in their alteration to conjugated trienoates and gave proof of their conjugated diene hydroxyl structure. Thin-layer chromatographic and infrared studies verified theTrans-trans diene unsaturation of the acid fromDimorphotheca aurantiaca oil and showed that the other hydroxy compounds examined have acistrans diene system. These data suggest that the seed oils ofArtemisia absinthium, Calliandra eriophylla, Balanites aegyptica, Cosmos bipinnatus, and Helianthus annuus contain 9-hydroxy-trans-10-cis-12- and 13-hydroxy-cis-9-trans-11-octadecadienoic acids. Supported by grants from The Hormel Foundation and the National Institutes of Health (Research Grant No. H-3559), and presented in part at the 33rd fall meeting, American Oil Chemists’ Society, Los Angeles, Calif., September 28–30, 1959. Fulbright Scholar to the Hormel Institute, 1958–1960.     

Free radical addition of hydrogen sulfide to conjugated and nonconjugated methyl esters and to vegetable oils

The rate of addition of hydrogen sulfide to high purity methyl oleate, methyl linoleate, methyl linolenate, methyl 9,11-trans,trans-octade-cadienoate and methyl β-eleostearate was investigated at 25 C with UV irradiation. A similar study was carried out with soybean, linseed and tung oils in the absence and presence of 2,2′-azo-bis(isobutyronitrile) with UV photolysis. Initially the reaction of hydrogen sulfide with methyl esters appears to follow pseudo-zero-order kinetics although as the reaction proceeds the kinetics of the polyunsaturated ester reactions become more complex. For nonconjugated systems the overall rate is determined by the initiation step, whereas the overall rate of addition to conjugated systems is a function of the stability of the resonance-stabilized addition radical in the chain transfer step. For methyl esters the following order of reactivity appears to hold: Methyl oleate ≅ methyl linoleate ≅ methyl linolenate >> methyl 9,11-trans,trans-octadecadienoate > methyl β-eleostearate. Using 2,2′-azo-bis(isobutyronitrile) with UV photolysis markedly increases the rate of addition of hydrogen sulfide to nonconjugated vegetable oils. Presented at the AOCS Meeting, New York, October 1968. No. Utiliz. Res. Dev. Div., ARS, USDA.     

Selective hydrogenation of soybean oil: IV. Fatty acid isomers formed with copper catalysts

Two samples of soybean oil hydrogenated with copper-containing catalysts at 170 and 200 C were analyzed for their natural and isomeric fatty acids. Methyl esters of the hydrogenated oils were separated into saturates, monoenes, dienes and trienes by countercurrent distribution between acetonitrile and pentane-hexane. Monoenes were further separated intocis- andtrans-isomers on a silver-saturated resin column. Double bond location in these fractions was determined by a microozonolysis-pyrolysis technique. The diene fraction was separated with an argentation countercurrent distribution method, and linoleate was identified by infrared, ozonolysis and alkaliisomerization data. The double bonds in thecis-monoenes were located in the 9-position almost exclusively. However, the double bonds in thetrans-monoene were quite scattered with 10- and 11-isomers predominating. About 86% to 92% of the dienes consisted of linoleate as measured by alkali isomerization. Other isomers identified as minor components includecis,trans andtrans, trans conjugated dienes and dienes whose double bonds are separated by more than one methylene group. No. Utiliz. Res. Dev. Div., ARS, USDA.     

Partial reduction of α-Eleostearic acid with hydrazine

The following products are formed during partial reduction of α-eleostearic acid with hydrazine:cis,trans-9,11-octadecadienoic andtrans,trans-11,13-octadecadienoic acids;cis-9-,trans-11- andtrans-13-octadecenoic acids; and stearic acid. The double bonds are reduced individually in the conjugated triene and also in the conjugated dienes that are formed. However, the reduction is selective since thetrans-11 double bonds in the conjugated triene is reduced only slightly to yield the isolated 9,13-diene. Thetrans double bond of thecis,trans conjugated diene reduces at a faster rate than thecis bond. No differences were observed in the rate of reduction of thecis-9 andtrans-13 bonds in the triene or of the bonds in thetrans,trans conjugated diene. No. Utiliz. Res. & Dev. Div., ARS, USDA.     

Selective hydrogenation with copper catalysts: IV. Reaction of stearolate,oleate and conjugated esters with deuterium

β-Eleostearate andtrans,trans-conjugated diene were reduced with deuterium in the presence of copper chromite. Considerable exchange of hydrogen atoms of the starting material for deuterium atoms was observed. Conjugated double bond systems isomerized (positional and geometric) extensively during hydrogenation. Isomerization and exchange reactions occurred at a faster rate than hydrogen addition reaction. During early stages of the reaction, a large amount of the product formed contained no deuterium. Of the three possible mechanisms of hydrogen addition toβ-eleostearate (1,2; 1,4 and 1,6), no one mechanism could account for all the products formed. Reduction oftrans-9,trans-11-octadecadienoate at a higher temperature and pressure (200 C, 500 psi) caused a minimum of exchange and isomerization apparently due to sintering of the catalyst. Monoenes were formed fromtrans,trans-conjugated diene by both 1,2 and 1,4 addition. Methyl oleate was not reduced, but extensive isomerization occurred. Deuterium was incorporated into isomeric monoenes. Mechanistic schemes are proposed to account for exchange, isomerization and hydrogen addition. Presented in part at the AOCS Meeting, New Orleans, April 1970.     

Analyses of lipids and oxidation products by partition chromatography: Hydroxy fatty acids and esters

A liquid-partition chromatographic procedure was used to separate hydroxy fatty acids, their methyl esters, and reduced fatty ester hydroperoxides. Mixtures of methyl stearate, mono- and dihydroxystearate, and mixtures of the corresponding free fatty acids were easily separated. Chromatographic determinations for ricinoleate in castor oils compared favorably with the chemical and infrared analyses. The chromatographic procedure was used to separate hydroxy fatty acids inDimorphotheca andStrophanthus seed oils. The methyl ester of dimorphecolic acid, the principal hydroxy fatty ester ofDimorphotheca oil, behaved like reduced methyl linoleate hydroperoxide and showed a polarity intermediate between methyl 12-hydroxystearate and methyl 9,10-dihydroxystearate. The 9-hydroxy-12-octadecenoic ester ofStrophanthus oil had a larger retention volume than methyl ous hydroxy fatty esters isolated chromatographically. The diene content of the reduced hydroperoxides agrees well with values reported in the literature (1,5,16). The diene content of the chromatographed methyl dimorphecolate is higher than reported by Smithet al. (20) for their preparations but agrees well with the value reported by Chipault and Hawkins (6) for puretrans-trans conjugated methyl linoleate. The extinction coefficient of methyl 12-hydroxystearate at 2.8 μ is higher than that reported for ricinoleate and the absorption band is much sharper. Because of these two conditions no association of the hydroxyl groups is indicated. These results also confirm the purity of the hydroxy fatty esters obtained by LPC. This method has been a valuable adjunct to the study of various oxygen-containing fatty acid and esters and was used to characterize the hydroxy esters obtained from the hydrogenation of methyl linolenate hydroperoxides (9). This work offers a basis for the development of analytical methods to determine the hydroxy and other polar acid content of fatty glycerides and their derivatives.     

Deuteration of methyl linoleate with nickel,palladium, platinum and copper-chromite catalysts

Samples taken during deuteration of methyl linoleate with the title catalysts were separated into saturate, monoene and diene fractions. Monoenes were further separated intocis andtrans fractions. A comparison of the double bond distribution in monoenes with those from hydrogenation of alkaliconjugated linoleate indicated that up to 59% of the linoleate was reduced through a conjugated intermediate with nickel catalyst. The respective percentages for palladium and platinum catalysts were 51 and 23. Copper catalysts have previously been shown to reduce linoleate solely through conjugated intermediates. Copper-chromite catalyst showed infinite selectivity for the reduction of linoleate, because stearate did not form. The decreasing order of various catalysts for the selective reduction was copper-chromite>>>Ni at 195 C>Pd>Ni at 100 C>Pt. Computer simulation of platinum reduction indicated that ca. 20% of the linoleate was directly reduced to stearate through a shunt. Geometrical isomers of linoleate were formed during reduction with all catalysts except copper-chromite. Nickel catalyst formed bothtrans,trans- andcis,trans-isomers, as well as nonconjugatable dienes. These isomers were favored at the higher temperature and deuterium was incorporated into them. Palladium and platinum did not isomerize linoleate to nonconjugatable dienes. Because conjugated dienes are more reactive than linoleate, they were not found in appreciable amounts during reduction. Conjugated dienes were the only isomers formed with copper-chromite catalyst. Deuterium was found in these conjugated dienes, which were also extensively isomerized. As a result of isomerization and exchange during reduction of linoleate-as well as further exchange between deuterium and monoenes-a wide distribution of isotopic isomers in monoenes was found with nickel, palladium and platinum catalysts. Since isomerization of monoenes with copper-chromite is negligible, the isotopic distribution of monoenes must be due to exchange of intermediate conjugated dienes followed by addition. Presented at the AOCS Meeting, Ottawa, September 1972. ARS, USDA.     

Formation of conjugated diene and triene products in lipoxygenase oxidation of C18, C20, C22 PUFAs

The determination of conjugated diene formation revealed that the mol % conversions of allcis-6,9,12-octadecatrienoic acid [γ-linolenic, 18:3(n-6)], allcis-5,8,11,14-eicosatetraenoic acid [arachidonic, 20:4(n-6)], allcis-5,8,11,14,17-eicosapentaenoic acid [20:5(n-3)], and allcis-4,7,10,13,16,19-docosahexaenoic acid [22:6(n-3)] into conjugated diene products by soybean lipoxygenase-1 at pH 9.0 were 84, 86, 60 and 40% of that of allcis-9,12-octadecadienoic acid [linoleic, 18:2(n-6)], respectively. On the other hand, the conversions of allcis-9,12,15-octadecatrienoic acid [α-linolenic, 18:3(n-3)], allcis-5,9,12-octadecatrienoic acid (c5,c9,c12-18:3), andtrans-5,cis-9,cis-12-octadecatrienoic acid (t5,c9,c12-18:3) were equal to that of 18:2(n-6). The lowering of the conjugated diene formation in the oxidation of 18:3(n-6), 20:4(n-6), 20:5(n-3), and 22:6(n-3) by the lipoxygenase was thought to be caused by the further oxidation of conjugated diene monohydroperoxides to yield conjugated triene products. For this reason, the conventional lipoxygenase method gave erroneous values forcis,cis-methylene interrupted polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in oils containing a large amount of 20:5(n-3) and 22:6(n-3) such as fish oils. However, by changing the pH of reaction mixtures from 9.0 to 11.0, the secondary oxidation of conjugated diene monohydroperoxides was completely inhibited, and the PUFA values in fish oils obtained by this improved method were in good agreement with those obtained by a GLC method.     

Analysis of fat acid oxidation products by countercurrent distribution methods. V. Low-temperature decomposition of methyl linoleate hydroperoxide

Methylcis, trans diene conjugated linoleate hydroperoxide isolated by counterenrrent distritbution from 4°C, auatoxidation of methyl linoleate was stored in atmospheres of oxygen and of nitrogen at 4°C. in darkenss. Besides manometric changes, infrared and ultraviolet characteristics, peroxide value, diene conjugation, and molecular weights were followed on samples removed at various periods of storage up to 53 days. These same analyses were obtained on fractions obtained by counter-current distributions. Evidence for the reaction that occurs on storage in oxygen may be summarized thus: 1 mole oxygen absorbed by linoleate hydroperoxides destroys 1 molecis, trans diene conjugation, 1/2 mole peroxide group, and 1 mole linoleate hydroperoxide; dimers of varying polarities, scission acids, and isolatedrans bonds are formed. Since to volume changes were observed in the nitrogen storage of methyl linoleate hydroperoxide, changes in chemical and physical characteristics can only be related to time of storage. Storage in nitrogen at 4°C, destroys diene conjugation, peroxides, and linoleate hydroperoxide and produces dimers of varying polaritics, seission neids, and isolatedrans bonds. Destruction of diene conjugation was one-fourth as rapid in a nitrogen atmosphere as in oxygen. While differences in reactions and products were observed between oxygen and nitrogen storage, particularly in rates and in countereurrent distribution patterns, the similarity of products from oxygen and nitrogen storage is remarkable. One methyl linoleate hydroperoxide is formed regardless of storage atmosphere, dimirization and attendant destruction of double bonds and peroxides proceed. This is a laboratory of the Northern Utilization Research and Development Division, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.     

Effect of α-tocopherol on the volatile thermal decomposition products of methyl linoleate hydroperoxides

α-Tocopherol and 1,4-cyclohexadiene were tested for their effect on the thermal decomposition of methyl linoleate hydroperoxide isomers. The volatiles generated by thermolysis in the injector port of a gas chromatograph at 180°C were analyzed by capillary gas chromatography. In the presence of either α-tocopherol or 1,4-cyclohexadiene, which are effective donors of hydrogen by radical abstraction, volatile formation decreased in all tests, and significant shifts were observed in the relative distribution of products in certain hydroperoxide samples. When an isomeric mixture of methyl linoleate hydroperoxides (cis, trans andtrans, trans 9- and 13-hydroperoxides) was decomposed by heat, the presence of α-tocopherol and 1,4-cyclohexadiene caused the relative amounts of pentane and methyl octanoate to decrease and hexanal and methyl 9-oxononanoate to increase. A similar effect of α-tocopherol was observed on the distribution of volatiles formed from a mixture of thetrans,trans 9- and 13-hydroperoxides. This effect of α-tocopherol was, however, insignificant with purecis,trans 13-hydroperoxide of methyl linoleate. The decrease in total volatiles with the hydrogen donor compounds, α-tocopherol and 1,4-cyclohexadiene, indicates a suppression of homolytic β-scission of the hydroperoxides, resulting in a change in relative distribution of volatiles. The increase in hexanal and methyl 9-oxononanoate at the expense of pentane and methyl octanoate in the presence of hydrogen donor compounds supports the presence of a heat-catalyzed heterolytic cleavage (also known as Hock cleavage), which seems to mainly affect thetrans,trans isomers of linoleate hydroperoxides.     

Determination of hydroperoxides and structures by high-performance liquid chromatography with post-column detection with diphenyl-1-pyrenylphosphine

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method, using post-column detection with diphenyl-1-pyrenyl-phosphine (DPPP), was developed for the quantitative and qualitative determination of isomeric lipid hydroperoxides (OOH). The OOH eluted from a normal-phase column were passed through a photodiode array detector and then mixed with DPPP solution in a reaction coil heated at 80°C. DPPP oxide formed by the reaction with OOH was determined by monitoring the fluorescence intensity at 380 nm and excitation at 352 nm. The conjugated diene OOH (13-cis, trans- and 9-cis, trans-OOH) and nonconjugated OOH (12-cis-trans- and 10-cis, trans-OOH) from photosensitized oxidation of methyl linoleate were determined in a molar ratio of 31∶29∶19∶21, respectively. However, only the two conjugated hydroperoxides were detected by ultraviolet absorption at 234 nm. Further applications were carried out for the determination of OOH of methyl oleate and methyl linolenate. This method proved to be useful for the determination of the OOH containing both conjugated and nonconjugated diene structures.     

Essential fatty acid-deficient rats: II. On the fatty acid composition of partially hydrogenated arachis,soybean and herring oils and of normal,refined arachis oil

The fatty acid composition of partially hydrogenated arachis (HAO), partially hydrogenated soybean (HSO) and partially hydrogenated herring (HHO) oils and of a normal, refined arachis oil (AO) was studied in detail by means of direct gas liquid chromatography, ultraviolet and infrared spectrophotometry and by thin layer chromatography fractionation on silver nitrate-silica gel plates followed by gas liquid chromatography. It was shown that the partially hydrogenated oils all contained fatty acids withtrans double bonds. In the plant oils, thetrans acids were present mainly as elaidic acid. The HHO showed an almost equal distribution betweentrans 18∶1 ω9,trans 20∶1 ω>9 andtrans 22∶1 ω>9. Sometrans configuration was also found in the C₂₀-and C₂₂-dienes and trienes of the HHO. In all the oils, conjugated fatty acids were present in minor amounts only (<0.5%). Special attention was given to the ω-acids known to be of specific nutritional value. The HSO contained about 32% linoleic acid, whereas the content ofcis, trans+trans, cis andtrans, trans octadecadienoic isomers was 1.7% and 0.5%, respectively. The amount of linoleic acid in the HSO was even higher than that of AO (29%). The HAO contained only 0.8% 18∶2 ω6 (linoleic acid). Further, two 18∶2 fatty acids with ω>6, acis, cis and atrans, trans isomer, were present in small amounts. The HHO contained 0.5% 18∶2 ω6 (linoleic acid). Isomers of 18∶2 ω>6 were also found in the HHO. They may be hydrogenation products of higher unsaturated C₁₈-acids orginally present. All the C₂₀- and C₂₂-dienes and trienes were shown to have an ω-chain greater than 6. Fatty acids with ω6-structure were not formed during partial hydrogenation of the oils studied.