SUPERCRITICAL-FLUID CHROMATOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF FISH OILS

Various natural and processed fish oil triglyceride mixtures have been analyzed by capillary supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC). The a nalyses were performed on nonpolar columns to separate the components by lipid class and by the number of carbon atoms. The compounds separa ted included free fatty acids, squalene, alpha-tocopherol, cholesterol , wax eaters, cholesteryl esters, di- and triglycerides. This kind of analysis is not possible by gas chromatography or high-performance liq uid chromatography methods without prior treatment of the fish oil, ma king SFC superior for this application. Applications of SFC to fish oi ls are given, including a control analysis of the various process step s in the refining of a fish oil, analysis of a lipase-catalyzed transe sterification of a fish oil and the detection of polymeric artifacts.