Analysis of Milk Fatty Acids by Gas-Liquid Chromatography

Abstract

A method for the analysis of milk fatty acids, employing separation of methyl and butyl esters by gas-liquid chromatography (GLC), has been developed. The methyl esters were separated on a diethylene glycol succinate (DEGS) column and the butyl esters on an Apiezon L colunm with temperature programming, in order to estimate the short-chain esters. Known mixtures of fatty acids and milk fat were analyzed. Average per cent recoveries for the shortchain fatty acids were, as butyl esters: 4:0--61, 6:0--79, 8:0--96. Recoveries for the rest of the common milk fatty acids were approximately 100%. For the analysis of milk fatty acids, butyl esters with suitable correction factors were used to determine 4:0, 6:0, and 8:0, and the rest of the acids were determined as methyl esters.