ANALYSIS OF SEED OIL FROM RICINUS-COMMUNIS AND DIMORPHOTECA-PLUVIALISBY GAS AND SUPERCRITICAL-FLUID CHROMATOGRAPHY

The seed oils from Dimorphoteca pluvialis and Ricinus communis contain hydroxy fatty acids. Dimorphoteca pluvialis contains Delta-9-hydroxy- 10t, 12 t-octadecadienoic acid (dimorphecolic acid) and R. communis co ntains Delta-12-hydroxy-9c-octadecenoic acid (ricinoleic acid). The oi ls were derivatized and analyzed to determine the content of hydroxy f atty acids. The trimethylsilyl fatty acid methyl ester (TMS-FAME) deri vatives were analyzed by capillary gas chromatography (CC), and the fr ee fatty acid (FFA) derivatives and the oils were analyzed by capillar y supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC). Further, mass spectroscopy of the TMS-FAME derivatives was performed to check the purity of the derivatives. The results from the GC analyses of TMS-FAME corresponded to the results found by SFC analysis of the FFA. The content of ricin oleic acid in the glycerolipids of R. communis was 87.7 wt%, and the c ontent of dimorphecolic acid in D. pluvialis was 54.0 wt%. The methods were evaluated with respect to the cost, ease, and time needed for sa mple preparation and analysis.