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Updated: Jun 13, 2026

Free Radicals in Chemical Biology: from Chemical Behavior to Biomarker Development
Published on: April 15, 2013
Long-term fatty acid stability in human serum cholesteryl ester, triglyceride, and phospholipid fractions
Nirupa R Matthan1, Blanche Ip, Nancy Resteghini
1Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA. nirupa.matthan@tufts.edu
Abstract:
Fatty acid profiles of biological specimens from epidemiological/clinical studies can serve as biomarkers to assess potential relationships between diet and chronic disease risk. However, data are limited regarding fatty acid stability in archived specimens following long-term storage, a variable that could affect result validity. Our objective was to determine the effect of prolonged storage at -80 degrees C on the fatty acid profiles of serum cholesteryl ester (CE), triglyceride (TG), and phospholipid (PL) fractions. This was accomplished by determining the fatty acid profile of frozen, archived, previously unthawed serum samples from 22 subjects who participated in a controlled feeding trial. Initial analysis was performed after trial completion and the repeat analysis after 8-10 years of storage using GC. No significant differences were observed among the majority of fatty acids regardless of lipid fraction. Reliability coefficients were high for the fatty acid classes (saturated fatty acid : 0.70, MUFA : 0.90, PUFA : 0.80). When differences were identified, they were limited to low abundance fatty acids (
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