n-Alkan-1-ols in oxidized butter

Abstract

Summary: The C_1,2,5–8 n-alkan-1-ols were identified from oxidized butter prepared from cream treated with cupric chloride and ascorbic acid. The six n-alkan-1-ols occurred in approximately equimolar amounts and in concentrations of approximately 1 μmole/kg, the same order of magnitude as that of the C_6–9 n-alkanals. The amounts increased rapidly during the first 4 weeks of storage, but only slowly during the succeeding 4–20 weeks. Only insignificant amounts of the C_3–8 alkanols formed in the untreated samples. It is suggested that C_1–8 alkanols are formed by the oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids according to the theory of Farmer, Koch & Sutton (1943) from primary alkoxy radicals resulting from the decomposition of lipid hydroperoxides.