Fatty Acid Analysis of Lipid Extracted from Rats by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Method

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify fatty acid composition in fat extracted from rats using Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) method. The fatty acid composition was determined as the methyl esters of fatty acids. Fat was extracted with chloroform-methanol solvent. Fatty acid methyl esters were prepared by saponification with base and followed by BF3-catalyzed methylation. Thirty compounds were identified, representing about 100 % of the total extracted lipids as measured by GC peak areas. The major constituents were 9-Octadecenoic acid; Hexadecanoic acid; 9,12-Octadecadienoic acid; Octadecanoic acid; 9-Hexadecenoic acid; Tetradecanoic acid; and Methyl arachidonate. The major constituents were fatty acids with chain lengths from 15 to 21 carbon atoms (mainly C17 and C19).