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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Albany, California » Western Regional Research Center » Crop Improvement and Genetics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #196007
Title: REGIOSPECIFIC ANALYSIS OF DIRICINOLEOYLOLEOYLGLYCEROL IN CASTOR OIL USING ELCTROSPRAY IONIZATION-MASS SPECTROMETRY

Author
item Lin, Jiann
item Arcinas, Arthur

Submitted to: Japan Oil Chemists' Society Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/15/2006
Publication Date: 9/5/2006
Citation: Lin, J.T., Arcinas, A.J. 2006. Regiospecific analysis of diricinoleoyloleoylglycerol in castor oil using elctrospray ionization-mass spectrometry. Japan Oil Chemists' Society Meeting.

Interpretive Summary: Ricinoleate, an industrially useful hydroxy fatty acid occurs abundantly as triacylglycerols (TAG) in castor seed, in addition to the toxin, ricin. The stereospecific determination of diricinoleoyloleoylglycerol (RRO) in castor oil helps explain key enzymatic steps involved on the biosynthetic pathway of castor oil. The pathway can be used for the development of transgenic oilseed to produce castor oil substitute lacking this toxic component. We have used mass spectrometry to show the locations of these three fatty acid chains.

Technical Abstract: Castor oil is the mixture of many molecular species of acylglycerols (AG). About 70% of castor oil is triricinolein (RRR). The second most abundant AG in castor oil is diricinoleoyl-oleoyl-glycerol (RRO, about 7%). Using ESI-MS3, we have determined that the location of oleate of RRO is at the sn-2 position.