The production of artifacts during preparation of fatty acid methyl esters from fish oils, food products and pathological samples

Abstract

AbstractMethyl esters were synthesized from lipid extracted by a modified Bligh and Dyer technique. The lipid was saponified and the free fatty acids methylated using boron trifluoride in methanol. Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT; 2,6‐di‐tert‐butyl‐4‐methylphenol) was added to the initial sample and to the extracted lipid prior to methyl ester synthesis.Under these conditions, the BHT was derivatized to a range of compounds, some of which can result in misinterpretation of the GC trace.Three components have been characterized by mass spectroscopy. Two of these, which eluted slightly before 16:0 on a polar column, were shown to be 2,6‐di‐tert‐butyl‐4‐methoxyphenol and 2,6‐di‐tert‐butyl‐4‐methoxy‐methylphenol. The third component, which coeluted with 15:0 on the same column, is 2,6‐di‐tert‐butyl‐4‐methoxy‐5‐hydroxyphenol.