Unlocking the Secrets of Plant Oils: A New Way to Measure Fatty Acids

Plant oils are packed with important fatty acids like omega-3, omega-6, and omega-9. These are good for our health, but measuring them accurately is tough. The problem? They are in tiny amounts and mixed with other stuff. Scientists have come up with a new method to tackle this issue.

A Special Chemical and Powerful Machine

They created a special chemical called DPATP. This chemical helps to make the fatty acids easier to detect. When combined with a powerful machine called UHPLC-QQQ-MS/MS, it can measure 11 different fatty acids at once. The best part? It is 300 times more sensitive than old methods. This means it can find even the tiniest amounts of fatty acids, as low as 0.4 femtograms.

Optimized Sample Preparation

The scientists also figured out the best way to prepare the samples. They found that liquid-liquid extraction works better than solid-phase extraction. This means they can get more of the fatty acids out of the plant oils. The chemical reaction was also optimized to work at 30 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes. This makes the whole process faster and more accurate.

Reliable and Precise

The new method was tested and proved to be reliable. It gives accurate results and can handle the complex mixtures found in plant oils. This is a big deal because it means we can now measure fatty acids more precisely than ever before.

Wide-Ranging Applications

This new method has many uses. It can help in:

• Food science
• Studying lipids
• Clinical diagnostics
• Environmental analysis

It is a powerful tool that can open up new possibilities in these fields.