SILVER ION TLC OF MINOR TRIACYLGLYCEROL COMPONENTS FOR UNAMBIGUOUS DETECTION OF ADULTERATION OF OLIVE OIL WITH VEGETABLE OILS

Abstract

An analytical approach for detection of low levels of adulteration of virgin olive oil with highly unsaturated vegetable oils by Ag-TLC is proposed. It is based on determination of the component TAG classes of the suspicious oil in two stages – analysis of the total oil and detailed analysis of the amount of minor polyunsaturated TAG classes, without the need of fractionation. Virgin olive oils with different linoleic acid content have rather different profile of their minor TAG classes. Marker TAG classes for adulteration with vegetable oils are: for cotton oil – SD₂ and D₃; for sunflower oil – M₂T and D₃; for corn oil – M₂T and D₃; for soybean oil – D₃ and D₂T.

Keywords:

• adulteration
• silver ion thin layer chromatography
• triacylglycerols
• vegetable oils
• virgin olive oil

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The partial financial support of the Bulgarian Science Fund under project No. X-1513 is gratefully acknowledged.

Notes

†This paper is dedicated to the memory of Roumyana Tarandjiiska who initiated and encouraged this study.