Determination of Polymerized Triglycerides by High Pressure Liquid Chromatography and Corona Veo Charged Aerosol Detector

This application note demonstrates a ternary gradient, HPLC method using a non-porous C18 column to separate and quantify polymeric triacylglycerides as a sharp peak and without a standard. Triaclyglycerides (TAGs), which form the bulk of vegetable and animal oils, are subject to polymerization reactions when heated. These reactions occur by thermal polymerization or by oxidative polymerization reaction via radicals. These polymeric compounds create high-boiling point, higher viscosity, and insoluble materials, which can affect product quality and properties. For cooking, these polymerized triglycerides (PTGs) can result in increased oil absorption into cooked foods, gumming of the fry bath, and possibly unhealthful conditions such as reduced digestibility.