Identification of TAG and DAG and their FA Constituents in Lesquerella (Physaria fendleri) Oil by HPLC and MS

Castor oil has many industrial uses because of its high content (90 %) of the hydroxy fatty acid, ricinoleic acid (OH¹²18:1⁹). Lesquerella oil containing lesquerolic acid (Ls, OH¹⁴20:1¹¹) is potentially useful in industry. Ten molecular species of diacylglycerols and 74 molecular species of triacylglycerols in lesquerella (Physaria fendleri) oil were identified by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry as lithium adducts of acylglycerols in the HPLC fractions of lesquerella oil. Among them were: LsLsO, LsLsLn, LsLsL, LsLn–OH20:2, LsO–OH20:2 and LsL–OH20:2. The structures of the four new hydroxy fatty acid constituents of acylglycerols were proposed by the MS of the lithium adducts of fatty acids as (comparing to those in castor oil): OH¹²18:2^9,14 (OH¹²18:2^9,13 in castor oil), OH¹²18:3^9,14,16 (OH18:3 not detected in castor oil), diOH^12,1318:2^9,14 (diOH^11,1218:2^9,13 in castor oil) and diOH^13,1420:1¹¹ (diOH20:1 not detected in castor oil, diOH^11,1218:1⁹ in castor oil). Trihydroxy fatty acids were not detected in lesquerella oil. The differences in the structures of these C18 hydroxy fatty acids between lesquerella and castor oils indicated that the polyhydroxy fatty acids were biosynthesized and were not the result of autoxidation products.