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Identification of Unique Aldehyde Dimers in Sorghum Wax Recovered after Fermentation in a Commercial Fuel Ethanol Plant
Author(s) -
Moreau Robert A.,
Sharma Megan E.,
Nuñez Alberto,
Mullen Charles A.,
Powell Michael J.,
Jones Kerby,
Harron Andrew,
Cafmeyer Jeffrey T.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of the american oil chemists' society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.512
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1558-9331
pISSN - 0003-021X
DOI - 10.1002/aocs.12424
Subject(s) - wax , sorghum , chemistry , chromatography , organic chemistry , agronomy , biology
Abstract Sorghum wax can be extracted from the surface of sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor ) kernels. It is composed mostly of a mixture of unsaturated C 28 and C 30 alkanes, fatty acids, fatty alcohols, and fatty aldehydes. Like carnauba wax, sorghum wax is a hard wax with a high melting point and it has potential edible and industrial applications. The yield of sorghum wax from the surface of sorghum kernels is 0.2–0.5 g of wax per 100 g of kernels. Sorghum wax can also be recovered from the “distillers oil” which is obtained after fermentation of sorghum (milo) or sorghum/corn blends in dry grind fuel ethanol plants. This distillers sorghum wax can potentially be obtained in yields of up to 10% by chilling the distillers oil to precipitate the wax and then recovering it via centrifugation or filtration. Like sorghum kernel wax, distillers sorghum wax is mainly composed of C 28 and C 30 alkanes, alcohols, and aldehydes in the molecular weight (MW) range of 350–450. However, we found that 7–49% w/w of distillers sorghum wax is composed of larger wax components with MW of 799–912. Analysis via high‐resolution atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry (APCI) and gas chromatography with electron ionization mass spectrometry (GC/MS‐EI) resulted in exact mass data and fragmentation patterns that suggested that these high MW compounds are monounsaturated fatty aldehyde dimers, likely formed by aldol condensation. Further confirmation supporting the GC/MS data for the aldol reaction was obtained by comparison with similar aldol products.