Determination of Double Bond Positions in Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids by Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

A new method for the determination of double bond positions in polyunsaturated fatty acids is described. Double bonds in polyunsaturated fatty acids were reduced with deuteriodiimide and the resulting saturated fatty acids were converted to pyrrolidide derivatives. The location of deuterium atoms of the pyrrolidides were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The positions of all the original double bonds could be deduced from mass fragment peaks containing deuterium atoms.