This bachelor's project aimed to isolate and characterize standards out of polyglycerol ester mixtures. The experimental design involved first separating the polyglycerol ester mixture into different fractions using diverse chromatographic methods. Results showed the mixture was divided into polar and non-polar fractions on gas chromatography. Mass spectrometry of the fractions then allowed identification of the specific polyglycerol esters present in each isolated peak. The first successful separation and identification of esters in the mixture was achieved, though further optimization is still needed to fully isolate all esters.

1. Bachelor project: Isolation and characterization of standards out of
polyglycerol ester mixtures
Ellen Decat1
Dr. Tatiana Cucu 2
1 University College West Flanders, Bruges
2 University of Ghent, Department of Food Safety and Food Quality
Professional Bachelor Biomedical laboratory science 2013-2014
Pharmaceutical and biological laboratory technology
Student: Frauke Piens
University College West-Flanders campus Rijselstraat
Rijselstraat 5 – 8200 Sint-Michiels Bruges
T +32 (0)50 38 12 77
F +32 (0)50 38 11 71
HOWEST university college West Flanders
Aim
• Isolation of polyglycerol ester mixture into different standards of these esters
• Isolation and characterisation obtained by diverse chromatographic methods
Experimental design
Conclusion
• First successful separation and identification of the polyglycerol ester mixture into different fractions
• Further optimization is needed for the complete isolation of all the esters
http://bltstages.howest.be http://www.bio-informatica.be
Results
Mixture
Polar fraction
Non polar fraction
On the left you can see some examples of the results on
the gas chromatograph (GC) after fractionation. It is
clearly to see that the mixture is divided into different
parts . Later on these different fractions were infused on
the time-of-flight mass spectrometer (TOF-MS). With
those results (see below) it is possible to determine which
polyglycerol esters are present in the isolated peaks.
Sample
Prefractionation by
a separatory flask
Methanol fraction
Fractionation by open
column
chromatography
Analyse fractions
on gas
chromatograph
Analyse fractions
on time-of-flight
mass spectrometer
Hexane fraction
Fractionation by open
column
chromatography
Analyse fractions
on gas
chromatograph
Analyse fractions
on time-of-flight
mass spectrometer