Naturally occurring epoxy acids: i. detection and evaluation of epoxy fatty acids by paper, thin-layer, and gas-liquid chromatography*†

Abstract

Chromatographic procedures for the detection and evaluation of oxygenated fatty acids are described. Emphasis has been placed on epoxy acids, but these methods promise to be of great value in studies of all classes of oxygenated acids. Paper chromatography of fatty acids and their esters has been developed for the examination of mixtures containing oxygenated derivatives. The method of adsorption chromatography on thin layers of silicic acid has been shown to be a powerful tool in studies of epoxy acids and hydroxy acids. Gas-liquid chromatography (GLC) of epoxy esters has been studied using both polar and nonpolar columns and has great utility in the detection and analysis of these compounds in mixtures. These methods have been applied to the examination of the epoxy components of six seed oils. Thin-layer and GLC proved particularly useful in this study and together demonstrated the presence of at least three distinct epoxy acids in each of these oils. Some conclusions as to the probable structures of these epoxy components are presented on the basis of their chromatographic characteristics in relation to known substances.