Simultaneous quantification of total medium- and long-chain fatty acids in human milk by capillary gas chromatography with split injection

Abstract

Four different quantification methods for the capillary gas chromatographic determination of medium-chain fatty acids (6:0-12:0) and myristic acid in human milk samples, using a split injector, were compared. Odd-carbon-numbered fatty acids (5:0-17:0) were added as internal standards. Each medium-chain fatty acid and myristic acid was calculated on the basis of: (1) the peak area of the internal standard with one methylene group less; (2) the peak area of the internal standard with one methylene group more; (3) half the sum of the peak areas of the internal standards with one methylene group less and more (bracketting method); (4) the peak area of 17:0. The peak-area ratio of each analyte and 17:0 in a standard was found to be subject to an unacceptably high coefficient of variation. From the methods using internal standards with one methylene group more and less, the bracketting method was found to be the best, resulting in recoveries close to 100%, with the lowest coefficients of variation. The method was applied for the determination of the fatty acid composition of mature milk samples of 47 Curaçaoan women.