Triacylglycerols composition, oxidation and oxidation compounds in camellia oil using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Camellia seed oil is one of most important edible oil, rich in oleic acid and contains many natural antioxidants with various biological activities. During preparation of foods or storage camellia oil oxidizes by the auto-oxidation and produce oxidized compounds. Traditional analytical techniques like FFA, POV are used for the determination of oxidation and adulteration of oils and fats. These methods were rarely able to detect the oxidized compounds produced and extent of oxidation. This paper presents the uses of liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS) for the analysis of triacylglycerols (TAGs) composition and evaluation of auto-oxidation and oxidation products of camellia seed oil. The camellia oil was auto-oxidized for 12 months at room temperature. The TAGs were identified from their characteristics fragmentations such as protonated molecular ion, ammonium and sodium adducts, diacylglycerols, epoxy-diacylglycerols fragments and mono-acylglycerol fragments in ESI-MS mass spectra. HPLC-ESI-MS data revealed the separation and identification of 15 TAGs. The major TAGs separated and identified in camellia seed oil were POO, OOO, OLO, PLO/POL, OLL, SOO, ALO and OLLn. The auto-oxidation studies revealed a total loss of LnLLn, LnOLn, LLLn and OLLn amounting about 13.5% total oxidation. The auto-oxidation products were epoxy hydroperoxides, epoxy epidioxides, and mono-epoxides. It was observed that these were characteristic compounds produced in high oleic oils.