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Lipids in sea water
Author(s) -
Jeffrey Lela M.
Publication year - 1966
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 - 10.1007/bf02641089
Subject(s) - chemistry , chromatography , gas chromatography , silicic acid , elution , solvent , thin layer chromatography , petroleum ether , column chromatography , organic chemistry , extraction (chemistry)
Abstract Acidified and filtered sea water samples which were extracted with petroleum ether and ethyl acetate have been shown to contain a variety of lipid compounds in trace amounts. Concentrations of these solvent‐soluble substances ranged from 0.5 to 6.0 mg/liter, the lower concentrations being found in offshore waters. The solvent extracts of the sea water were separated into eight lipid classes by column chromatography on silicic acid. The fractions eluted with solvents of increasing polarity were characterized by thin‐layer chromatography, infrared and ultraviolet absorption and gas chromatography. These techniques revealed a complex mixture of alkanes, alkenes, fatty acids, steroids, phospholipids and many as yet unidentified components. Twenty to thirty alkanes were present as indicated by gas chromatography. No aromatic hydrocarbons were detected. Chromatography of the methyl esters of the fatty acids indicated the presence of acids with chain lengths varying from 14 to 22 carbons, both saturated and unsaturated. In many samples the unsaturated fatty acids containing 18 to 22 carbons predominated. The lipid components varied somewhat in composition as well as concentration from location to location and with season and depth.