ANALYSIS OF HUMAN-MILK TRIACYLGLYCEROLS BY HIGH-PERFORMANCE LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHY WITH LIGHT-SCATTERING DETECTION

A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for the separat ion of human milk triacylglycerols using a C-18 Spherisorb ODS column and ternary gradient elution with dichloromethane, acetone and acetoni trile is described. The triacylglycerols are detected by light scatter ing. Several chromatographic conditions were assayed in order to optim ize the method: sample solubility, mobile phase, column temperature an d the mass detector oven temperature. The linearity, precision and rel ative response of the method were examined. A total of 34 peaks were s eparated and quantified based on the percentage peak area in the HPLC chromatogram. Mature human milk analyzed by this method contained six predominant triacylglyceride structures: POO, POL, LOO, POP, OOO and S OP, where P=palmitin, O=olein, L=linolein and S=stearin. (C) 1998 Else vier Science B.V. All rights reserved.