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Appl Environ Microbiol. 1974 July; 28(1): 80-85
Copyright © 1974 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Comparison of Rapid Methods for Analysis of Bacterial Fatty Acids

Center for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia 30333

ABSTRACT

When rapid gas-liquid chromatography methods for determination of bacterial fatty acids were compared, results showed that saponification was required for total fatty acid analysis. Transesterification with boron-trihalide reagents (BF₃-CH₃OH, BCl₃-CH₃OH) caused extensive degradation of cyclopropane acids and was less effective than saponification in releasing cellular hydroxy fatty acids. Digestion of cells with tetramethylammonium hydroxide was unsatisfactory because of extraneous gas-liquid chromatography peaks and because of lower recovery of branched-chain and hydroxy fatty acids. A simple, rapid saponification procedure which can be used for total cellular fatty acid analysis of freshly grown cells is described.

¹ Present address: North Carolina State University, Raleigh, N.C. 27607.