SILVER ION ADSORPTION THIN-LAYER CHROMATOGRAPHY AND CAPILLARY GAS-CHROMATOGRAPHY IN THE STUDY OF THE COMPOSITION OF MILK-FAT TRIGLYCERIDES

Fatty acid and triglyceride (TG) composition of milk fat and of the si x fractions obtained by AgNO3-TLC were determined using capillary GC. The saturated (SSS) and monounsaturated (SSM) TGs accounted with two f ractions each that were separated into butyrates and all the others; t he remaining fractions were identified as di-and triunsaturated TGs, r espectively. The total TGs and the SSM were distributed in similar pro portions with respect to chain length. The molar percentages of SSS in short- and medium-chain TGs (60.2 and 45.0%, respectively) were highe r than those of polyunsaturated TGs (11.5 and 21.6%, respectively). Mo st of the peaks found in the chromatogram of milk fat TGs were located predominantly in one of the AgNO3-TLC fractions. Thirty-seven peaks w ere >1%; from the most important in quantitative terms, six (three SSS and three SSM) contain butyric acid and four contain three long-chain fatty acids. Eighty-one molecular species of TGs were identified.