Determination of squalene in edible oils by transmethylation and GC analysis

Squalene is a triterpenoid with medicinal, therapeutic and cosmetic applications. There is interest in identifying novel sources of squalene, creating a need for a rapid and accurate method of squalene determination. Here, we describe such an approach that involves first transmethylating the oil base containing squalene using a basic catalyst, followed by addition of internal standard and quantification by gas chromatography flame ionization detection (GCIFD). •The method uses a single reference standard for quantification.•Validation showed it to be both repeatable and accurate.•It was successfully applied to nutraceutical and edible oils containing squalene.