The hydrocarbons of anhydrous butterfat: Influence of technological treatments

The hydrocarbons of butter oil were isolated after saponification of the oil by thin layer chromatography and then analyzed by gas liquid chromatography. The influence of such treatments of butter oil as fractionation, passage over Fuller’s earth, and hydrogenation on the nature and relative proportions of of the hydrocarbons was studied. Passage of butter oil over Fuller’s earth causes the formation of cholesta-3,5-diene, probably from cholesterol. Hydrogenation of butter oil passed over Fuller’s earth progessively transforms cholestadiene into cholestene.