CHM 510

Experiment 3

FATTY ACID DETERMINATION

USING GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY
(GC)

Name : Nur Hafikah Bt Mustapha

(2019602814)
Group : RAS2453B

Lecturer’s name : Dr Sharizal

EXPERIMENT 2:
FATTY ACID DETERMINATION USING GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY (GC)

OBJECTIVE
This experiment introduces a procedure that is used routinely for fat
analysis in which nonvolatile fatty acids are chemically converted to
the corresponding volatile methyl esters. The resulting volatile
mixture can be analyzed by gas chromatography.

INTRODUCTION
Fats consist of glycerol esters and long chain aliphatic acids (fatty acids).
The backbone of these compounds contains from 4 to more than 20
carbon atoms. Most natural sources of these compounds have
an even number of carbon atoms because the biosynthetic pathway
builds the backbone two carbons at a time. Fatty acid chains may
contain one or more double bonds at specific positions (unsaturated and
polyunsaturated), or they may be fully saturated. The physical and
chemical properties of a fat depend on the composition of the fatty acid
mixture. Animal fats tend to have a larger proportion of long chain-
saturated acids and are solids at room temperature. Fats from plant
sources contain a higher proportion of unsaturated acids and
are often liquids at room temperature due to hydrogen bonding.
Polyunsaturated fats are usually of vegetable origin. Crisco is an
example of a vegetable-derived, unsaturated fatty acid that has been
hydrogenated to form a solid material. Fats are used in cooking because
they are very high boiling compounds. Their high boiling points therefore
make this class of compounds ill-suited for analysis by gas
chromatography. However, the glycerol esters can be chemically
decomposed into methyl esters of each individual fatty acid. Gas
chromatography separates the analytes that is volatile and chemically
stable. Fatty acids are not sufficiently volatile for GC analysis, so that it
needs to be modified chemically to produce anew compound, which has
properties that are suitable for analysis. If the unsuitable sample is
introduced into GC analysis, it tends to cause peak tailing due to the
adsorption and non-specific interaction with the column. In this
experiment, the fatty acid is changed to fatty acid methyl ester (FAME)
that is more volatile, suitable for GC analysis by using esterification
reaction that used metholic solution with catalyst of esterification
reagent. The objective for this experiment is to introduce a
derivatization procedure routinely used for fat analysis in which non-
volatile fatty acids are chemically converted to the corresponding volatile
methyl ester (FAME) and to determine the amount of FAME in the
derivatized samples.
.

CHEMICALS
Oil or fat samples (margarine or butter)

INSTRUMENT

Gas chromatography (Agilent Technologies 6890N) equipped with flame

ionization detector (FID) and 30 m × 250µm × 0.25 µm HP5-MS capillary
column.
PROCEDURE

Approximately 2g of margarine was weighted and the exact weight was

recorded. The sample was transferred into a 50 ml flask equipped with
air condenser. 5 ml of 0.5 M methanolic solution was added and reflux
for 3-4 minutes. 15 ml of esterification reagent was added and reflux for
3 minutes. The mixture was transferred into separatory flask. 50 ml of
saturated NaCl and 25 ml were added. For 2 minutes, mixture was
shaken vigorously and aqueous layer was discarded. Repeated the
previous step with another 25 ml of saturated NaCl aqueous layer
discarded again. The organic layer was transferred into a screw cap vial.
Only organic layer was injected into the GC as water ruined the GC
column.
RESULTS
 FIGURE 1 STANDARD FAME
FIGURE 2 SAMPLE 1 (INJECTION 1)
FIGURE 3 SAMPLE 1 (INJECTION 2)
FIGURE 4 SAMPLE 2 (INJECTION 1)
FIGURE 5 SAMPLE 2 (INJECTION 2)
FIGURE 6 SAMPLE 3 (INJECTION 1)
FIGURE 7 SAMPLE 3 (INJECTION 2)
DISCUSSION
The component in the samples are compared with the standards
component by the retention time. From the retention time of standard
and samples, it is proven that component 5(peak 6) is not present in all 3
samples because of the difference of the retention time between
standard and samples is too far. The amount of each component is
different in each samples may due to the different mass of the fat
initially. Peak 5 in each sample give very large different in the amount of
FAME, this may be due to the incomplete separation process during
shaking process or the discarding process, it is necessary to discard little
organic layer to make sure that there is no aqueous layer anymore to be
injected onto GC. That condition also affected by the contaminants in the
flask that is not clean before using. The other peaks that correspond to
specific component show small difference that assumed to be correct.
There is another way to derivative or modified the low volatility fatty acid
to more volatile compound called silylation that BSTFA to yield
trimethylsilyl (TMS) ester that is more suitable to be analysed in GC.

CONCLUSION
The derivation to technique used in this experiment is esterification to
convert non-volatile fatty acids to more volatile fatty acid methyl ester
(FAME). There are 5 components in the standard mixture while the 3
samples only indicate 4 components as shown in the standard mixture
by comparison of the retention time. The concentration of each
component is calculated by using the response factor of the standard.

REFRENCES
1.Retrieved from May 9
2020, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8520689
2.Retrieved from May 9 2020 ,
http:www.doiserbia.nb.rs/img/doi/0352-5139/2015/0352-
51391400073w.pdf