Gas-Liquid Chromatographic Analysis of Milk Fat: Rapid Preparation of Butyl Esters

Abstract

A rapid transesterification procedure for the preparation of butyl esters is described which employs di-n-butyl carbonate and sodium butoxide as reagents. In conjunction with temperature programmed gas-liquid chromatography (GLC), this procedure allows efficient analysis of milk fat. Thin-layer chromatographic examination of esterif ication products indicated nearly quantitative reaction for up to 100 mg of tri-, di- and monoglycerides, Transesterification of 100 mg of methyl heptadecanoate was found to be 95% complete by GLC analysis.