Analysis of fatty acids in the free form instead of fatty acid methyl esters is relatively simpler and quicker. Then why is FAME-GC preferred over free fatty acid analysis by GC? What are the advantages of FAME?
FAME-GC is quite simple and easy to handle. GC-FAME also provide with calibration mixture which is very helpful to characterize the components over GC.
Thanks for the info. Is there any other distinct advantages for FAME or any disadvantages of using just free fatty acids? Also, are there any conditions where one might prefer free fatty acid GC analysis over FAME
Other things to bear in mind - Free Fatty Acids have a greater tendency to tail compared to FAME, which can be very problematic for resolution, especially around the especially abundant C18 peaks. Also on many conventional silica columns they will have much greater retention times than their FAME counterparts hence requiring longer run times to get them all to elute. Finally, due to the free fatty acid head being hydrophilic compared to the tail, FFA can have a greater tendency to create foaming or micellation depending on the solvent system and other compounds present. FAME mixtures are much more stable and therefore easier to keep in a single phase and give more consistent results.
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