Fatty acid Methyl Ester Anaysis

1. FAME (Fatty Acid Methyl Ester)
Analysis

2. Introduction
• Fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) are a type of
fatty acid ester that are derived by trans
esterification of fats with methanol.
• The molecules in biodiesel are primarily FAMEs,
usually obtained from vegetable oils by trans
esterification.
• Fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) analysis is an
important tool both for characterizing fats and
oils and for determining the total fat.

3. FAME Production
• FAMES are typically produced by an alkali-
catalyzed reaction between fats and methanol in
the presence of base such as sodium hydroxide
or an acid.

4. Why FAMES ?
• In their free, underivatized form, fatty acids may
be difficult to analyze because these highly polar
compounds tend to form hydrogen bonds,
leading to adsorption issues. Reducing their
polarity may make them more amenable for
analysis.

5. Principle
• Since every organism has its specific FAME
profile (fingerprinting), so it can be used as a
tool for source tracking (ST). The types and
proportions of fatty acids present in cytoplasm
membrane and outer membrane of cells are
major phenotypic traits.

6. Principal Contd.
• Clinical analysis can determine the lengths,
bonds, rings and branches of the FAME. To
perform this analysis, a bacterial culture is
taken, and the fatty acids extracted and used to
form methyl esters. The volatile derivatives are
then introduced into a gas chromatagraph, and
the patterns of the peaks help identify the
organism. This is widely used in characterizing
new species of bacteria, and is useful for
identifying pathogenic strains.

7. Analysis of FAMEs by boiling point
elution
The analysis of FAMEs by boiling point elution is
used for pattern recognition. This technique is
useful for:
• Determining the source of fatty acids when
compared to patterns/profiles from known
references, each with a unique fatty acid
distribution. Qualitative and quantitative analysis
is control, purity determination, and for the
detection of contaminants.

8. Metabolomics
•Observing subtle differences from sample-to-
sample, which allows the effects on fatty acid
metabolism, caused by either external or internal
influences, to be detected. This growing area of
research is commonly referred to as metabolomics,
and extends to compound classes beyond fatty
acids.

9. General Overview of Method
• The full process of fatty acid methyl ester
(FAME) analysis consists of esterification of
lipids, and of injection, separation, identification
and quantitation of the FAMEs. In order for the
required accuracy and precision to be attained,
each of these steps has to be optimized.

10. Applications
• Fatty acid profiling (also known as the analysis
of fatty acid methyl esters, or FAME) determines
the quality of oil seeds and processed oil by
identifying and quantifying the fatty acids
present in a sample. The resulting fatty acid
composition profile provides critical assistance
in valuing oil seeds and processed oil for the
marketplace.

11. Applications cont.
• Fatty acid profiling (FAME analysis) benefits for
breeding programs
▫ Enhance selection and advancement of lines with
desired fatty acid profiles
• Fatty acid profiling (FAME analysis) benefits for
processed-oil assessment programs
• Tangible evidence of quality assurance regarding
fatty acid composition as it may influence such
characteristics as taste, healthfulness, shelf life,
color, etc

12. FAME profiling Of Seeds

Canola

Cereals

Corn

Cotton
Fatty acid profiling (FAME
analysis) for the following
crops is available
commercially
 Canola
 Serials
 Corn Cotton
 Flowers
 Grasses
 Legumes
 Rice

13. Biodiesel Production
• The type and amount of lipids produced by an
algal species directly influence the quality of the
achieved biodiesel. The study first to report on
the isolation process and lipid profile analysis of
algal strains obtained via FAME analysis showed
significant results.

14. Applications contd.
• We can use FAME Analysis to Compare,
Differentiate, and Identify Multiple Nematode
Species.

15. Conclusion
• The analysis of fatty acids has become
increasingly important, because more people
have become aware of their nutritional and
health implications. Because of this, a method
for analyzing fatty acids that provides both rapid
and reliable results is of great value.

16. Thank You !!!