Microdetermination of the fatty acids in blood serum

Abstract

The polyethenoid fatty acids are determined by a combination of the method of Herb, S.F. and Riemenschneider, R.W. (1952). J. Amer. Oil Chem. Soc. 29, 456. Herb, S.F. and Riemenschneider, R.W. (1953). Analyt. Chem. 25, 953. and that of O''Connell, P.W., Lipscomb, E. and Daubert, B.F. (1952). Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 36, 304, in 2 ml of serum. The results are essentially the same as those obtained with the original method of Herb and Riemenschneider. A saponification is necessary if the method is applied to serum fat. The saturated fatty acids are determined, after removal of the unsatu-rated fatty acids, by a modification of the method of Boldingh, J. (1953). Int. Conf. Biochem. Probl. Lipids, Brussels, p. 64, 4 ml of serum being required. A determination of the total fatty acid content is included. The monoethenoid fatty acids are calculated by difference. Replicate analyses of 2 samples of pooled human sera indicate a good reproducibility. Values for normal human blood serum are given.