Evaluation of mathematical distribution methods for the determination of triglyceride composition.

The triglyceride composition of a number of animal and vegetable fats was determined directly by means of selective argentation and lipase hydrolysis, and compared to that given by the 1,3-random,2-random method of analysis described by Vander Wal [JAOCS37, 18 (1960)].Exceptions to the basic assumption of the 1,3-random,2-random method that the fatty acids in the 2-position are distributed randomly are reported.The analyses of some fats determined by the 1,3-random,2-random method agreed closely with those determined by the direct method, but the overall results indicated that methods based on mathematical distribution patterns generally are not as precise as direct methods.