Fatty acids are lipid compounds commonly found in vegetable and animal products, either in the free form (free fatty acids) or bound (e.g. acylglycerol). Fatty acids are one of the nutrients that can be metabolized into energy, and some have structural functions in the human body, such as essential fatty acids. Essential fatty acids are fatty acids that the body needs, but the body cannot synthesize them or can be synthesized in limited quantities. However, some types of fatty acids can also have a negative impact on health if consumed in excess. Therefore, we need to know what fatty acids we consume from our diets.

How SIG can help

SIG Laboratory performs fatty acid analysis on a wide variety of fatty acid analytes over a wide range of matrices.

The types of fatty acid that can be tested in the SIG laboratory are: 

• Butyric acid (C4:0)
• Hexanoic acid (C6:0)
• Octanoic acid (C8:0)
• Decanoic acid (C10:0)
• Undecanoic acid (C11:0)
• Lauric acid (C12:0)
• Tridecanoic acid (C13:0)
• Tetradecanoic acid (C14:0)
• Miristoleic acid (C14:1)
• Pentadecanoic acid (C15:0)
• Cis-10-pentadecenoic acid (C15:1)
• Palmitic acid (C16:0)
• Palmitoleic acid (C16:1)
• Heptadecanoic acid (C17:0)
• Cis-10-heptadecanoic acid (C17:1)
• Octadecanoic acid (C18:0)
• Trans-9-elaidic acid (C18:1 ω9T)
• Cis-9-oleic acid (C18:1 ω9C)
• Linolelaidic acid (C18:2 ω6T)
• Linoleic acid (C18:2 ω6C)
• Arachidic acid (C20:0)
• Gamma-linoleic acid (C18:3 ω6)
• Cis-11-eicosanoic acid (C20:1)
• Linolenic acid (C18:3 ω3)
• Heneicosanoic acid (C21:0)
• Cis-11,4-eicosadienoic acid (C20:2)
• Docosanoic acid (C22:0)
• Cis-8,11,14-eicosatrienoic acid (C20:3 ω6)
• Erucic acid (C22:1 ω9)
• Cis-11,14,17-eicosatrienoic acid (C20:3 ω3)
• Tricosanoic acid (C23:0)
• Cis-5,8,11,14-eicosatetranoic acid (C20:4 ω6, ARA)
• Cis-13,16-docosadienoic acid (C22:2)
• Lignoceric acid (C24:0)
• Cis-5,8,11,14,17-eicosapentanoic acid (C20:5 ω3, EPA)
• Nervonic acid (C24:1)
• Cis-4,7,10,13,16,19-dokosahexanoic acid (C22:6 ω3, DHA)

Method of Analysis

The GC FID technique is used in the profiling and quantification analysis of fatty acids in the form of methyl ester (fatty acid methyl esters, FAMEs).