A novel mass-deficit-based method for the rapid determination of diacylglycerols in edible oils

Diacylglycerols (DAGs) are valued for their nutritional benefits, driving the need for effective quality control. Current chromatographic methods are time-consuming and impractical for routine analysis. Accordingly, we have developed a rapid mass-deficit-based analytical strategy that capitalizes on the inherent structural disparities between DAGs and triacylglycerols, facilitating accurate quantification through selective derivatization and precipitation. Systematic optimization of critical parameters, including sample mass, water bath duration, precipitation separation, and precipitation formation time, yielded a robust and reliable analytical protocol. The method exhibits a wide linear range (0-70% (w/w), R² > 0.997), low detection (1.42% w/w) and quantitation (4.75% w/w) limits, and high precision. Accuracy was confirmed by strong agreement with a standard method and recoveries of 96-104%. This approach provides an accurate and efficient alternative for routine DAG analysis in edible oil quality control.