Preparation of fatty acid methyl esters by selective methanolysis of polar glycerolipids

Abstract

KOH in aqueous methanol catalyzes selective methanolysis of polar glycerolipids with O-ester-linked acyl residues, while triacylglycerols and sterol esters are inert in the solution. Based on these findings, a convenient and reliable method was developed for the preparation of fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) from polar glycerolipids in lipid mixtures without prior isolation. Methanolysis of polar glycerolipids was completed within 2.5 min by vortexing or 20 min by shaking with 0.7 M KOH/70% (v/v) methanol in the presence of hexane at 30 degrees C. The yields of FAMEs obtained by the present method were greater than 95%. The method was applied successfully to gas chromatographic analysis of the fatty acid compositions of polar glycerolipids in seed oil and blood. No obvious differences were found between the fatty acid compositions determined by the present method and those determined by conventional methods, including lipid extraction with chloroform/methanol followed by isolation of polar lipids by chromatography. The fatty acid composition of polar glycerolipids, including phospholipids, can be determined readily in many crude samples.