Determination of triacylglycerol composition in vegetable oils using high-performance liquid chromatography: a...

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Food Science
• Chromatography

Background:

• Accurate determination of triacylglycerol (TAG) composition is crucial for understanding vegetable oil quality and properties.
• Existing methods may lack the specificity or resolution required for detailed TAG profiling.

Purpose of the Study:

• To collaboratively validate a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for analyzing triacylglycerol (TAG) composition in vegetable oils.
• To assess the utility of C22 and C30 silica columns for separating TAG molecular species.

Main Methods:

• A collaborative study involving 9 laboratories analyzed TAG composition in soybean, rapeseed, and palm oils.
• High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a refractive index detector was employed.
• Dococyl (C22) and triacontyl (C30) silica columns were utilized for chromatographic separation.

Main Results:

• The HPLC method successfully separated individual TAG molecular species in the analyzed vegetable oils.
• TAG composition analysis was demonstrated to be reliable within a partition number (PN) range of 38 to 50.
• High precision and accuracy were achieved across participating laboratories.

Conclusions:

• The developed HPLC method using C22 and C30 silica columns is effective for determining the percentage composition of TAGs in vegetable oils.
• This method provides a robust and reproducible approach for routine quality control and research applications in the food industry.
• The findings support the adoption of this HPLC technique for standardized TAG analysis.