Chromatographic separation of lactone precursors and tentative identification of the े‐lactones of 4‐hydroxy octanoic and 4‐hydroxy nonanoic acids in butterfat

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Abstract
A combination of silicic acid column and thin layer chromatography which separates े‐ and ै‐hydroxy acid containing glycerides from butterfat is described. This procedure facilitates the isolation of the े‐ and ै‐hydroxy acids (lactone precursors) while avoiding lactonization. The method indicated that the hydroxy acids are entirely esterified to the glyceride in fresh butterfat. Hydrolysis, using pancreatic lipase, showed that these polar acids are located on the ॅ‐positions of the glycerides. The े‐lactones of 4‐hydroxy octanoic and 4‐hydroxy nonanoic acids were tentatively identified by gas liquid chromatography. These occurred in quantities of 0.25‐0.5 ppm and approximately 0.2 ppm respectively in the butterfat samples investigated.