Gas-liquid chromatographic analysis of milk fatty acids: a review

Milk quality control: instant and quantitative milk fat determination with a BODIPY sensor-based fluorescence detector

The first fluorescent sensor for milk fat was developed.

The performance of lambs reared by ewes given protected lipids during late pregnancy and early lactation

1. Two groups of ewes were given a dietary supplement containing 40 g of either ‘protected’ tallow (PT) with only 3% linoleic acid or ‘protected’ safflower oil (PP) with 57% linoleic acid for 28 days prepartum and 30 days post-partum.

2. Although the birth weights of the lambs were unaffected by dietary treatment, the lambs in the PT group gained weight approximately 20% faster than those in the PP group.

3. The gross compositions of the milks of both groups of ewes were similar but the milk fat obtained from the PP group contained about twice as much linoleic acid as was found in the PT group.

4. Dietary treatments did not affect the haematocrits, red blood cell (RBC) or white blood cell numbers of the lambs. However, the haematocrits were higher at birth than at 10 days later and the RBCs were found to be less fragile at birth than at 10 days later.

5. The ratio of trienoic/tetraenoic fatty acid in the plasma lipids of the lambs was positively correlated with live-weight gain. Male lambs grew faster than females and twins faster than triplets and the trienoic/tetraenoic ratio was higher in males than females and higher in twins than in triplets.

6. These results showed that although it was possible to increase the linoleic acid content of the milk of ewes and of the blood lipids of their lambs by feeding protected safflower oil, no increase in lamb growth was obtained.

The composition of ewe's milk fat during early and late lactation

The composition of ewe's milk during the first 4 days of lactation and on the 100th day of lactation was investigated. The total fat content was highest (17· 9%) on the day of parturition but decreased rapidly to reach a level on the 2nd day after parturition that was similar to that observed on the 100th day of lactation (9·9 %).

The concentration of octadecenoic acid, which was the major fatty acid of ewe's milk, was very much higher in early lactation than in late lactation. As the concentration of octadecenoic acid decreased the concentration of the shorter chain fatty acids (6:0−14:0) increased. The major octadecenoic acid was thecis-9 isomer. However, the proportion of thetrans-11 isomer increased from 5·5 % of the total octadecenoic acid concentration in early lactation to 11·9 % in late lactation. Although linoleic acid remained a minor component of the fatty acids of the milk during lactation, its concentration increased from less than 1 % during early lactation to 1·4 % by the 100th day of lactation.

The major fatty acids in whole milk fat and in a fraction obtained by crystallization from acetone

Summer and winter milk-fat samples from 14 dairies in Sweden were fractionated by crystallization from acetone solution (1:8) at 15 °C. The composition of the major fatty acids of the parent milk fat and of the acetone insoluble fraction were examined by GLC, and the gross triglyceride pattern by TLC on plates of silicic acid treated with silver nitrate.

The fatty acid composition of the milk fat was similar to that of milk fat from other countries and varied according to season and also, to a smaller extent, from region to region. Four fractions, representing 33–45, 41–34, 18–14 and 7–6 % of the fat and which contained progressively smaller proportions of saturated acids, were obtained by TLC.

The acetone insoluble glyceride (AIG) fraction was characterized by a smaller content of short-chain fatty acids and unsaturated fatty acids, and a larger content of saturated long-chain fatty acids, than the parent milk fat. AIGs from summer milk fat contained a larger proportion of C18acids and a smaller proportion of C6–C16acids than AIGs from winter milk fat.

Four fractions representing 62–70, 15–8, 16–15 and 7 % of the AIG fraction were obtained by TLC. The distribution of the triglycerides in the AIG fraction differed from that in the parent milk fat, mostly in the relative amounts of glycerides in the 2 most saturated TLC fractions. The seasonal variation was largely confined to these 2 fractions.

Changes in the composition of bovine milk fat during milking

Fat analyses were carried out on fore-milk and residual milk samples to elucidate the significance of the changes in fatty-acid composition of milk fat during milking previously reported by other workers. The levels of phospholipid in fore-milk samples per unit weight of fat were considerably higher than those of residual milk samples. The fatty acid composition of the triglyceride in fore-milk and residual milk samples was similar. These results suggest that the differences in fatty acid composition of milk fat collected during milking can be attributed to decreases in the relative amount of phospholipid-rich globule membrane associated with increasing globule diameter.

Elucidation of the composition of bovine milk fat triacylglycerols using high-performance liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation mass spectrometry

Bovine milk fat triacylglycerols (TAGs) have been characterised using high-performance liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation mass spectrometry (HPLC-APCI-MS) and high-temperature gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The complex nature of the fat meant that prefractionation was necessary to provide simpler fractions for more detailed molecular analyses. Silica thin-layer chromatography gave rise to two fractions, one of which contained predominantly butyric acid containing TAGs. Gel permeation chromatography (GPC) gave rise to 16 fractions, which were subsequently analysed using HPLC-APCI-MS. Twelve of the GPC fractions were also analysed by high-temperature GC-MS using a capillary column coated with a polarisable stationary phase. TAGs present in the fractions were correlated with those in the chromatogram of the whole milk fat through retention time comparison and the use of mass chromatograms. In total, 120 TAGs were identified.

Precision and sensitivity of a test for vegetable fat adulteration of milk fat

A test for routine screening of Mozzarella cheese and butter for vegetable fat adulteration is described. Fat is extracted and saponified. The potassium salts of the fatty acids are measured through direct gas chromatographic analysis. A ratio, calculated from the concentrations of butyric and oleic acids, is used to evaluate the purity of a sample. The test offers good precision and can detect less than 10% partially hydrogenated vegetable fat.

Concentration of 18:1 and 16:1 transunsaturated fatty acids in the adipose body tissue of decedents dying of ischaemic heart disease compared with controls: analysis by gas liquid chromatography

Proportions of "lower" 16:1 and 18:1 trans acids (TL) and "higher" C20 and C22 trans acids (TH) in samples of depot fat taken at postmortem examination from 136 people who had died of ischaemic heart disease (cases) and from those who had died of unrelated causes (controls) have been determined. Whereas mean percentages of TH are virtually identical for cases and controls, the mean value of TL was significantly higher for the case specimens. Although these lower trans acids are present in small amounts in ruminant-animal fat, they are more characteristic of commercially hydrogenated fats. We conclude, therefore, that the cases consumed on average a higher proportion of those hydrogenated fats rich in 16:1 trans and 18:1 trans acids and a lower proportion of ruminant fat than did the controls.

Method for the routine quantitative gas chromatographic analysis of major free fatty acids in butter and cream

A rapid quantiative method was developed for routine analysis of the major, even carbon-numbered free fatty acids in butter and cream. Free fatty acids were isolated directly from intact samples by a modified silicic acid-potassium hydroxide arrestant column and were separated by gas chromatography with a 1.8 m x 2 mm inner diameter glass column packed with 10% neopentyl glycol adipate on 80/100 Chromosorb W. Purified, formic acid-saturated carrier gas was required for minimal peak tailing and extended column life. The accuracy and reproducibility of the mmethod was established through quantitative recovery studies of free fatty acid mixtures, free fatty acids added to butter, and replicate analysis of butter and cream samples.

Positional isomers of unsaturated fatty acids in rat liver lipids

The fatty acids of liver lipids from rats raised on a fat free diet from the 30th to the 90th day after birth were analyzed with special regard to the detection of positional isomers of mono-, di-, tri-, and tetraenoic fatty acids. The methyl esters obtained after transesterification of total lipids were separated by argentation chromatography into five fractions: I saturated, II monoenoic, III dienoic, IV dienoic nonmethylene interrupted, V tri- and tetraenoic fatty acid esters. After hydroxylation of the double bonds with osmium tetroxide, the analysis of the poly-O-trimethylsilyl derivatives by gas liquid chromatography on S.C.O.T. columns combined with mass spectrometry revealed the presence of 19 monoenoic, 15 dienoic, and 9 trienoic as well as 3 tetraenoic fatty acid isomers including the normally occurring representatives of the (n-3), (n-6), (n-7), and (n-9) fatty acid families. The majority of the identified isomers can be coordinated to one of these families like 7-16:1; 11-20:1; 6,9-18:2; 8,11-20:2; 5,11-20:2; 5,8,11-20:3; 7,10,13-22:3 to the (n-9) family, 11-18:1; 13-20:1; 5,11-18:2; 7,13-20:2; 6,11-18:2; 6,9-16:2; 8,11-18:2; 10,13-20:2; 5,8,11-18:3; 7,10,13-20:3; 4,7,10,13-20:4 to the (n-7) family and 11,14-20:2; 5,11,14-20:3; 6,9,12-18:3; 8,11,14-20:3; 5,8,11,14-20:4; 7,10,13,16-22:4 to the (n-6) family. All these naturally occuring isomers can be placed into a network of desaturation and chain elongation steps which allows certain conclusions about the substrate specificity of the delta6-, delta5- and delta4-desaturase systems. The great number of isomers found in the (n-7) family indicates that the members of this family are actively metabolized in partial essential fatty acid deficiency.