Quantitation of triacylglycerols in vegetable oils and fats by easy ambient sonic-spray ionization mass spectrometry

Abstract

This innovative mass spectrometric technique provides simple, quick, and reliable quantitative analysis of triacylglycerols in vegetable oils and fats. The easy ambient sonic-spray ionization mass spectrometry (EASI-MS) technique provides simple, quick, and reliable qualitative analysis of triacylglycerols (TAG) in vegetable oils. The use of this ambient mass spectrometry technique, which does not require separation or derivatization before analysis, for precise quantitative analyses has yet to be demonstrated. In this study, the TAG composition of edible vegetable oils, hydrogenated vegetable oils and cocoa butter was quantitated by EASI-MS. The results were compared with those obtained by theoretical predictions of the TAG composition performed by a software projection, which uses a mathematical algorithm of distribution of the fatty acids (FA) in the TAG molecule, and by the direct gas chromatography method (GC-FID). Acceptable correlation coefficients were observed between the three methods during the analysis of vegetable oils and hydrogenated vegetable oils. EASI-MS offers not only simplicity, speed and selectivity for oil analysis but also precise quantitation of the TAG composition. Therefore, EASI-MS is a promising substitute for the more demanding and time-consuming standard protocols, which require separation and sometimes derivatization before analysis.