Abstract
The triglyceride composition ofEphedra nevadensis seed fat, which contains 16 different fatty acids, has been analyzed by a combination of liquid-liquid partition and gas-liquid chromatography. Triglycerides were first separated by liquid-liquid partition chromatography. The recovered fractions were then analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography to determine the molecular weights of the triglycerides present. Consecutive separation by these two techniques resolved this complex seed fat into 30 different triglyceride groups. A method for preparative liquid-liquid partition chromatography of triglycerides is described in detail. Highly unsaturated triglyceride mixtures are easily resolved on the basis of “partition number” by using a hexadecane/nitroethane partition system.