Autoxidation of polyunsaturated triacylglycerols. IV. Volatile decomposition products from triacylglycerols containing linoleate and linolenate.

Trilinoleoylglycerol (LLL), trilinolenoylglycerol (LnLnLn) and four synthetic triacylglycerols were autoxidized and the volatile products were investigated to determine the effect of fatty acid glyceride position on the mechanism of hydroperoxide decomposition. Capillary gas chromatography provided a sensitive method to follow the volatile oxidation products of mixtures of LLL and LnLnLn and of synthetic triacylglycerols containing linoleate and linolenate in different known positions. The relative amount of linoleate oxidation was determined by analyzing for hexanal, 2-heptenal and 2,4-decadienal, and the relative amount of linolenate oxidation by analyzing for 2,4-heptadienal and 2,4,7-decatrienal. The volatiles from pure monohydroperoxides of LLL and LnLnLn were compared with those of the corresponding triacylglycerols by capillary gas chromatography. Significant differences in the distribution of volatile products were observed depending on the triacylglycerols precursor. A 1∶1 mixture of LLL and LnLnLn autoxidized at 40°C showed an equal contribution of linolenate and linoleate volatiles at a peroxide value of 34. The synthetic triacylglycerols LLnL and LLLn (L, linoleic; Ln, linolenic acid) formed initially about the same total volatiles, whereas LnLnL formed more volatiles than LnLLn. The ratio Ln to L volatile products was the same for the diL triacylglycerols, and higher for LnLnL than for LnLLn. This new information should permit us to better understand the influence of triacylglycerol structure on the relative oxidative stability of unsaturated triacylglycerols.