EVALUATION OF IMPROVED METHOD FOR DETERMINATION OF RAPESEED-MUSTARD FAMES BY GC

An efficient and economical GC method for rapid determination of FAMEs in rapeseed-mustard is described. The seeds were transmethylated with acetylchloride, using microwave heating and separation achieved on a 3 m column packed with a mixture of 2 % SP-2300 and 3 % SP-2310 on Chr omosorb 'W'. The method is compared with the conventional heating meth od and extended efficiently for half-seed analysis. The fatty acid com position of the FAMEs mixtures prepared by both methods was similar wi th highly significant correlation coefficients (P < 0.001).