Gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric identification of 9,10-epoxyoctadeca-12-enoate ester and 12,13-epoxyoctadeca-9-enoate ester in human blood

Abstract

The two epoxides 9,10-epoxyoctadeca-cis-12-enoate ester and 12,13-epoxyoctadeca-cis-9-enoate ester have been identified as endogenous components in human blood. The epoxy and ester function were reduced with either lithium aluminium hydride or the corresponding deuteride, before trimethylsilylation and subsequent gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric analysis. The fragmentation of the deuterated sample demonstrated the presence of the intact epoxide in the sample prior to chemical reduction. The sum of the identified epoxides in plasma was found to be 4.5–4.6 mg l^–1.