Gas liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS} showed that the cyclic fatty acid monomers tCFAM) isolated from a heated linseed oil have two ethylenic bonds, while the CFAM isolated from heated sunflower oils were saturated and monoethylenic isomers. GC-MS studies also showed the presence of cyclohexenic derivatives in the case of linseed oil.GLC coupled with Fourier transform infrared spectrometry IGC-FTIR) studies indicated that the CFAM isolated from linseed oil were of cis (Z), trans (E) structures except two components which were cis, cis {Z,Z) dienoic acids. The unsaturated CFAM isolated from sunflower oils were cis (Z) and trans {E) monoethylenic isomers. For sunflower oils, the major CFAM were isomers having a cis {Z) ethylenic bond. The saturated CFAM isolated from a heated sunflower oil had molecular weights of 296 and 294. The latter could correspond to some bicyclic isomers.Fractions containing 97-99% of cyclic fatty acid monomers have been isolated from heated linseed and sunflower oils {1,2). A combination of column chromatography, urea adduct fractionation and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to isolate these components.In order to know the structure of a cyclic fatty acid, one has to determine the size of the ring, the nature of the substituents, the degree of unsaturation and the position and geometry of the ethylenic bonds. The size of the ring and the nature of the substituents usually are determined by gas liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, GC-MS (3-9) after total hydrogenation on platinum oxide. The position of the ethylenic bonds can be determined by GC-MS of the trimethylsilyl (TMS) derivatives (10). We are reporting the determination of the degree of unsaturation of the isolated cyclic fatty acid monomers by GC-MS and the geometry of the ethylenic bonds by GC coupled with Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (GC-FTIR). The cyclic fatty acid monomers isolated from a heated linseed oil appeared to have two ethylenic bonds, while the cyclic fatty acid monomers isolated from heated sunflower oils were saturated and monoethylenic isomers. The CFAM isolated from linseed oil were of cis (Z), trans (E) structures except for two components. Both cis (Z) and trans {E) monoethylenic CFAM were found in fractions isolated from sunflower oils.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Gas liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).All the GC-MS analyses were performed using a Ribermag R10-10C quadrupole mass spectrometer coupled to a Girdel 31 gas chromatograph fitted with a split-splitless injector and a Chrompack fused-silica capillary column (26 m X 0.32 mm i.d., stationary bonded phase: 1.2 ~m of CpWax 57 CB). Helium was used as the carrier gas at a flow rate of one ml/min. The injection port was maintained at 240 C, and splitless injections (1 t~l) of hexane solutions were used.The transfer line, consisting of a deactivated fused-silica capillary column (50 cm X 0.32 mm i.d.) connected to the analytical column with a zero-dead volume capillary buttconn...