Quantitative analysis of fatty acid methyl esters and dimethyl acetals on a polar (free fatty acid phase) capillary...

Separation of fatty acid methyl esters and dimethyl acetals from complex biological samples has been achieved by gas-liquid chromatography on a capillary column coated with free fatty acid phase. Response-correcting factors were determined, showing rather large variations with fatty acid length. Polyunsaturated fatty acid methyl esters were shown to have lower responses than saturated species, whereas dimethyl acetals and equivalent methyl esters were found to give similar responses. Total fatty acid and aldehyde compositions of human and simian erythrocytes were determined and compared, showing a somewhat higher level of linoleate and arachidonate, and a lower level of plasmalogens in simian erythrocytes.