Analysis of lipids containing epoxy groups: The epoxy glycerides ofVernonia anthelmintica seed oil

Picration-TLC analysis ofVernonia anthelmintica seed oil shows that besides the known triglyceride of vernolic acid, it also contains two additional epoxy compounds. These were isolated by column chromatography and have been identified as the monoepoxy and the diepoxy triglycerides of vernolic acid by a rapid transmethylation-GLC micromethod. Lipase hydrolysis of these glycerides has shown that in the monoepoxy triglycerides the vernolic acid has marked preference for the 1,3-positions, while in the diepoxy triglycerides the 2-position is preferred.