Identification of acylglycerols containing dihydroxy fatty acids in castor oil by mass spectrometry.

Ricinoleate, a monohydroxy fatty acid, in castor oil has many industrial uses. Dihydroxy fatty acids can also be used in industry. The C(18) HPLC fractions of castor oil were analyzed by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry of lithium adducts to identify the acylglycerols containing dihydroxy fatty acids and the dihydroxy fatty acids. Four diacylglycerols identified were diOH18:1-diOH18:1, diOH18:2-OH18:1, diOH18:1-OH18:1 and diOH18:0-OH18:1. Eight triacylglycerols identified were diOH18:1-diOH18:1-diOH18:1, diOH18:1-diOH18:1-diOH18:0, diOH18:2-diOH18:1-OH18:1, diOH18:1-diOH18:1-OH18:1, diOH18:1-diOH18:0-OH18:1, diOH18:2-OH18:1-OH18:1, diOH18:1-OH18:1-OH18:1 and diOH18:0-OH18:1-OH18:1. The locations of fatty acids on the glycerol backbone were not determined. The structures of these three newly identified dihydroxy fatty acids were proposed as 11,12-dihydroxy-9-octadecenoic acid, 11,12-dihydroxy-9,13-octadecadienoic acid and 11,12-dihydroxyoctadecanoic acid. These individual acylglycerols were at the levels of about 0.5% or less in castor oil and can be isolated from castor oil or overproduced in a transgenic oil seed plant for future industrial uses.

Analysis of regiospecific triacylglycerols by electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry(3) of lithiated adducts.

A method of regiospecific analysis of triacylglycerols (TAGs) in vegetable oils and animal fats is reported here using the electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (MS(3)) of TAG-lithiated adducts. The fragment ions of the MS(3) from the loss of fatty acids at the sn-2 position as alpha,beta-unsaturated fatty acids were used for regiospecific identification and quantification. The ratio of the regiospecific TAGs, ABA and AAB, in an oil sample usually fraction collected by high-performance liquid chromatography can be determined by the abundance of the fragment ions of [ABA + Li-ACOOH-B'CH=CHCOOH]+ and [AAB + Li-ACOOH-A'CH=CHCOOH]+. The method was used to analyze regiospecific TAGs in extra virgin olive oil. The results showed that the saturated fatty acids, palmitic and stearic acids, were mostly located at the sn-1,3 positions and unsaturated fatty acids, oleic and linoleic acids, were mostly located at the sn-2 position.

Regiospecific identification of 2-(12-ricinoleoylricinoleoyl)-1,3-diricinoleoyl-sn-glycerol in castor (Ricinus communis L.) oil by ESI-MS(4).

(12-Ricinoleoylricinoleoyl)diricinoleoylglycerol (RRRR), a tetraacylglycerol, was identified earlier in castor oil. Using ESI-MS (4), 95% of the 12-ricinoleoylricinoleoyl chain was identified at the sn-2 position of the glycerol backbone of RRRR. Regiospecific location of the 12-ricinoleoylricinoleoyl chain of RRRR on the glycerol backbone was identified and quantified by the ions from the losses of the acyl chains at the sn-2 position as alpha,beta-unsaturated fatty acids from the lithium adduct of RRRR. The regiospecific location was confirmed by hydrolysis of RRRR using sn-1,3 specific lipase. By comparison to the mass spectrum of 1- O-palmityl-2,3-palmitoyl- rac-glycerol containing one ether bond, the 12-ricinoleoylricinoleoyl chain of RRRR is indeed the ester bond between the two ricinoleoyl chains, not the ether bond formed from the two hydroxyl groups of the two ricinoleoyl chains. The structure of RRRR is 2-(12-ricinoleoylricinoleoyl)-1,3-diricinoleoyl- sn-glycerol.

Regiospecific analysis of diricinoleoylacylglycerols in castor (Ricinus communis L.) oil by electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry.

HPLC fractions of diricinoleoylacylglycerols containing one non-ricinoleoyl chain from castor oil were used to identify the regiospecific location of this non-ricinoleoyl chain on the glycerol backbone using electrospray ionization-MS3 of lithium adducts. The regiospecific ions used were from the loss of alpha,beta-unsaturated fatty acid specific at the sn-2 position. The content of 1,3-diricinoleoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycerols (ROR) among the three stereospecific isomers, RRO, ROR and ORR, was about 91%. The contents of other 1,3-diricinoleoyl-2-acyl-glycerols among the three stereospecific isomers were as follows: 1,3-diricinoleoyl-2-linoleoyl-sn-glycerol, 95%; 1,3-diricinoleoyl-2-linolenoyl-sn-glycerol, 96%; 1,3-diricinoleoyl-2-stearoyl-sn-glycerol, 96%; 1,3-diricinoleoyl-2-palmitoyl-sn-glycerol, 78%; and 1,3-diricinoleoyl-2-lesqueroloyl-sn-glycerol, 31%. These non-hydroxyl fatty acids were mostly at the sn-2 position of triacylglycerols in castor oil. These results suggest that phospholipase A2 hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine (PC) containing non-hydroxyl fatty acid at the sn-2 position is either blocked or partially blocked in vivo. Phospholipase A2 hydrolysis of 2-lesqueroloyl-PC is not blocked and is similar to that of 2-ricinoleoyl-PC. Transgenic inhibition of phospholipase C hydrolysis of PC might be used to block the incorporation of non-hydroxyl fatty acids into triacylglycerols, thus increasing the content of ricinoleate in seed oil.

Identification of (12-ricinoleoylricinoleoyl)diricinoleoylglycerol, an acylglycerol containing four acyl chains, in castor (Ricinus communis L.) oil by LC-ESI-MS.

An acylglycerol (AG) containing four acyl chains, (12-ricinoleoylricinoleoyl)diricinoleoylglycerol (RRRR), was positively identified for the first time in a natural source in castor oil using electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS). HPLC-purified RRRR from castor oil was subjected to ion trap and high-resolution ESI-MS/MS. The precursor and fragment ions of [RRRR + Na]+ showed the expected masses, and the sodiated fragment ions of both diacylglycerols and fatty acids were detected. Because fragment ions of fatty acids from [AG + NH4]+ adducts cannot be detected by ESI-MS/MS, [AG + Na]+ adducts are more informative. Radiolabeled triricinolein (RRR) was incorporated into RRRR in castor microsomes, indicating that RRRR is biosynthesized in castor bean. This newly identified and biosynthesized RRRR represents a new AG subclass of tetra-acylglycerols (or acylacyldiacylglycerol).