Elucidation of the triglycerides in fish oil by packed-column supercritical fluid chromatography fractionation followed by capillary electrochromatography and electrospray mass spectrometry

The triglycerides in fish oil, and especially in Sardina pilchardus, were fractionated according to degree of unsaturation (DU) by silver-ion packed-column supercritical fluid chromatography. The collected fractions were analyzed by flow injection analysis in an electrospray mass spectrometer and by capillary electrochromatography on a 40 cm x 0.1 mm i.d. fused silica column packed with 3-mu m Hypersil ODS. In each DU fraction, the carbon number could be elucidated. The potential of this analytical schema is illustrated by the in depth analysis of the fractions containing 10, 11, and 12 double bonds. (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc