Stereospecific analysis of triacyl‐<i>sn</i>‐glycerols by chiral high‐performance liquid chromatography

Abstract

Abstract A method for the stereospecific analysis of triacyl‐ sn ‐glycerols by high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) on a chiral column is described. Triacyl‐ sn ‐glycerols were partially degraded with ethyl magnesium bromide, and the monoacylglycerols produced were separated as 1‐ and 2‐monoacylglycerol fractions by thin‐layer chromatography on boric acid‐impregnated silica gel plates. The 1‐monoacylglycerols were resolved into sn ‐1 and sn ‐3 monoacylglycerol fractions by HPLC on a chiral column (Sumichiral OA‐4100) after derivatization with 3,5‐dinitrophenyl isocyanate. Fatty acid methyl esters obtained from the original triacyl‐ sn ‐glycerols, 1‐ and 2‐monoacylglycerol fractions, and sn ‐1 and sn ‐3 monoacylglycerol fractions were analyzed by gas chromatography on open‐tubular columns. Stereospecific acyl distributions in triacyl‐ sn ‐glycerols were calculated from the data. The acyl distributions of several oils were obtained. The method is rapid, simple and gave reproducible results.