Electrospray ionization multiple-stage linear ion-trap mass spectrometry for structural elucidation of triacylglycerols: assignment of fatty acyl groups on the glycerol backbone and location of double bonds.

ABSTRACT: Linear ion-trap multiple-stage mass spectrometric approach (MS(n)) towards nearly complete structural elucidation of triacylglycerol (TAG) including (1) assignment the fatty acid substituents on the glycerol backbone and (2) location of the double bond(s) on the unsaturated fatty acyl groups is reported. The characterization is established by the findings that MS(2) on the [M + Li](+) ions of TAG yields more abundant ions reflecting losses of the outer fatty acid substituents either as free acids (i.e., [M + Li - R(1)CO(2)H](+) and [M + Li - R(3)CO(2)H](+) ions) or as lithium salts (i.e., [M + Li - R(1)CO(2)Li](+) and [M + Li - R(3)CO(2)Li](+) ions) than the ions reflecting the similar losses of the inner fatty acid substituent (i.e., [M + Li - R(2)CO(2)Li](+) and [M + Li - R(2)CO(2)Li](+)

SUBMITTER: Hsu FF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2847672 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature