Resolution of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) by thin-layer chromatography often is complicated by co-migration of certain acyl-isomers in heterogeneous mixtures. However, a novel reversed-phase thin-layer chromatography method which employs 10% (wt/vol) silver nitrate in a mobile phase containing acetonitrile/1,4-dioxane/acetic acid (80:20:1, vol/vol/vol) allows one-dimensional resolution of a wide range of acyl-methyl esters. This innovation enables improved separation of saturated FAME ranging from C 12 to C 22 , and geometric isomers of C 14 to C 22 unsaturated FAME by thin-layer chromatography.Investigation of lipid composition in plant tissues frequently involves preparation of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) derived from glycerolipids. FAME analysis and separation typically are achieved by a variety of chromatography methods, such as gas chromatography (GC), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and thin-layer chromatography (TLC) (1-7). The method of choice depends on the objectives of the investigation and available resources. When TLC is practical, a two-dimensional approach typically is required to obtain acceptable resolution of certain FAME. As an example, silica gel impregnated with silver nitrate (AgNO 3 ) in a normal phase system may be used to separate FAME by degree of unsaturation. In this system, saturated FAME advance farthest, then monounsaturated, and finally polyunsaturated acyl methyl esters. Resolution of saturated FAME may then be enhanced by employing C 18 reversed-phase gels (RPTLC) in a second dimension where separation depends on carbon number. On RPTLC, FAME interact with a polar solvent on a nonpolar stationary phase in a manner that allows more rapid migration of molecules with greater polarity and lower mass. Both techniques usually are necessary because different FAME containing the same degree of unsaturation are not resolved well by AgNO 3 -TLC, and FAME like 16:0 and ∆9c-18:1 tend to co-migrate in RPTLC systems. Thus, AgNO 3 -TLC may be used to separate FAME by number of unsaturated bonds in one dimension, and reversed-phase TLC may be used to separate FAME by carbon number in a second dimension. FAME may then be visualized by a number of detection methods (4,5) and subsequently quantified by GC or scraped into scintillation vials if the sample is radiolabeled.Given the desirable attributes of each method in the traditional two-dimensional approach, an attempt was made to improve the logistical efficiency of FAME resolution by TLC. A one-dimensional TLC system was developed using silver ions within the mobile phase and a reversed-phase C 18 (n-octadecylsilyl) silica stationary phase. Although addition of silver ions in the mobile phase of reversed-phase TLC has been reported (8), this innovation enabled an improved single-dimensional TLC method with the capability of resolving a wide range of FAME standards, including geometric isomers of unsaturated acyl methyl esters.
MATERIALS AND METHODSTwenty-four FAME standards with greater than 99% purity were purchased from ...