Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Little Rock, Arkansas » Microbiome and Metabolism Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #146281

Title: CHARACTERIZATION OF TRITERPENE ALCOHOL AND STEROL FERULATES IN RICE BRAN USING LC/MS/MS

Author
item FANG, NIANBAI - UAMS
item YU, SHANGGONG - ACNC
item Badger, Thomas

Submitted to: Journal of the American Chemical Society
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/5/2002
Publication Date: 12/15/2002
Citation: FANG, N., YU, S., BADGER, T.M. Characterization of Triterpene Alcohol and Sterol Ferulates in Rice Bran Using LC/MS/MS. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. 2002. v. 50. p. 2700-2707.

Interpretive Summary: Ferulic acid esters of triterpene alcohols and sterols in rice bran oil has been extensively studied and reported to possess important pharmacological actions. Inconsistent results on the numbers and structures of ferulates have been reported, primarily because of the analytical procedures employed. This paper describes an LC/MS/MS method for direct analysis of triterpene alcohol and sterol esters in rice bran oil. The method was demonstrated to be a rapid manner for the direct on-line characterization of triterpene alcohol and sterol esters in oils. Furthermore, the LC/MS/MS equipped with reverse-phase LC and ESI-MS should be well-suited for identification and quantification of the polar metabolites of phytosterols in biological fluids after consumption of rice bran oil or other oils.

Technical Abstract: Ferulic acid esters of triterpene alcohols and sterols in rice bran oil has been extensively studied and reported to possess important pharmacological actions. Inconsistent results on the numbers and structures of ferulates have been reported, primarily because of the analytical procedures employed. While conventional methods for analysis of phytosterol content in oil are carried out by characterization of trimethylsilylated derivatives using GC/EI-MS after saponification of oils or individual compound isolated from oils, this paper describes an LC/MS/MS method for direct analysis of triterpene alcohol and sterol esters in rice bran oil. In addition to confirm the known ferulates, nine new relatively polar triterpene alcohol and sterol esters were characterized by their retention behaviors in LC and ESI-MS data from both negative- and positive-ion mode. This is the first evidence for hydroxylated ferulate esters and caffeate esters as the part of '-oryzanol in rice bran oil since '-oryzanol was first reported in 1954. The method was demonstrated to be a rapid manner for the direct on-line characterization of triterpene alcohol and sterol esters in oils. Furthermore, the LC/MS/MS equipped with reverse-phase LC and ESI-MS should be well-suited for identification and quantification of the polar metabolites of phytosterols in biological fluids after consumption of rice bran oil or other oils.