ARS | Publication request: Identification of trihydroxy fatty acids and the regiospecific quantification of the triacylglycerols containing trihydroxy fatty acids in castor oil by mass spectrometry

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: August 10, 2010
Publication Date: November 17, 2010
Citation: Lin, J.T. 2010. Identification of trihydroxy fatty acids and the regiospecific quantification of the triacylglycerols containing trihydroxy fatty acids in castor oil by mass spectrometry. 6th International Symposium on Biocatalysis and Biotechnology, November 17-18, 2010, Seoul, Korea.

Technical Abstract: Ricinoleate, a monohydroxy fatty acid in castor oil, has many industrial uses. Dihydroxy and trihydroxy fatty acids can also be used in industry. We report here the identification of diacylglycerols and triacylglycerols containing trihydroxy fatty acids in castor oil. The Ci8 HPLC fractions of castor oil were used for mass spectrometry of the lithium adducts of acylglycerols to identify trihydroxy fatty acids and the acylglycerols containing trihydroxy fatty acids. Two diacylglycerols identified were triOH18:l-diOH18:l and triOH18:0-OH18:l. Four triacylglycerols identified were triOH18:l-OH18:l-OH18:l, triOH18:0-OH18:l-OH18:l, triOH18:l-OH18:l-diOH18:l and triOH18:0-OH18:l-diOH18:l. The structures of these two newly identified trihydroxy fatty acids were proposed as 1 l,12,13-trihydroxy-9-octadecenoic acid and 11,12,13-trihydroxyoctadecanoic acid. The locations of these trihydroxy fatty acids on the glycerol backbone were almost 100% at the sn-\,3 positions or at trace levels at the sn-2 position. The content of these acylglycerols containing trihydroxy fatty acids was at the level of about 1% or less in castor oil.