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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Albany, California » Western Regional Research Center » Bioproducts Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #331994
Research Project: Domestic Production of Natural Rubber and Industrial Seed Oils

Location: Bioproducts Research

Title: Structural characteristics of the molecular species of tetraacylglycerols in lesquerella (Physaria fendleri) oil elucidated by mass spectrometry

Author
item Lin, Jiann
item Chen, Grace

Submitted to: Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/9/2017
Publication Date: 3/10/2017
Citation: Lin, J.T., Chen, G.Q. 2017. Structural characteristics of the molecular species of tetraacylglycerols in lesquerella (Physaria fendleri) oil elucidated by mass spectrometry. Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology. 10(10):167-173. doi: 10.1016/j.bcab.2017.03.005.

Interpretive Summary: Castor oil has many industrial uses such as the manufacture of biodegradable and renewable plastics, plasticizers, lubricants, cosmetics, paints and surfactants. Lesquerella oil can also be used industrially in similar applications as castor oil. Both oils are mainly triacylglycerols containing hydroxy fatty acids, although tetraglycerols have also been identified in lesquerella. Tetraacylglycerols can be used in industry, providing different physical properties from those of triacylglycerols e.g., viscosity and pour point modifier. We have recently identified and quantified the molecular species of tetraacylglycerols in lesquerella oil. In this report we characterize the structures of these tetraacylglycerols in lesquerella oil.

Technical Abstract: The structure and ratios of regioisomers of the molecular species of tetraacylglycerols affect their physical properties. They were elucidated by ESI mass spectrometry of the lithium adducts of tetraacylglycerols from the HPLC fractions of lesquerella oil. The contents of acyl and acylacyl chains at the sn-2 position of the molecular species of tetraacylglycerols (regioisomers) containing one normal FA (A) in lesquerella oil were as: normal FA (54 to 98 %), LsLs (0 to 35%), Ls (2 to 19%). Ls is lesquerolic acid. For the molecular species of tetraacylglycerols containing two normal FA, 100% of acyl and acyl chains at the sn-2 position were normal FA, and the Ls, LsLs and LsA chains were all at the sn-1/3 positions. The contents (%) of tetraacylglycerols containing acyl and acylacyl chains at the sn-2 position in lesquerella oil were: 0.59 (O), 0.22 (L), 0.21 (Ln), 0.16 (LsLs), 0.066 (Ls), 0.032 (P) and 0.03 (S). The contents (%) of the sets of regioisomers of the molecular species of tetraacylglycerols with the acylacyl chain shown in the parenthesis were: 0.25, (LsLs)LsO; 0.24, (LsLs)LsL; 0.21, (LsLs)LsLn; 0.10, (LsLs)-OH20:2-O. The contents of the sets containing one normal FA were higher than those of containing two normal FA.