Methyl Ester Preparation from Triacylglycerols Containing Conjugated Trienoic Fatty Acids, by Alkaline and Acid Catalyst
Conventional alkaline catalytic procedure, including sodium methoxide-methanol N, N, N', N'-tetramethyl guanidine-methanol, and acid-catalytic methods of BF3-methanol and HCI-methanol, have been applied for preparing methyl esters from the triacylglycerols of Trichosanthes kirilowiil seeds containing conjugated trienoic acids. The alkaline catalytic methods produce the methyl esters quantitatively without isomerization of the conjugated trienoic acids, but the acid-catalytic ones destroy almost the molecules of conjugated trienoic acids during transesterification of the triacylglycerols although the molar ratios of monoenoic and dienoic acids (non-conjugated) to saturated acids are in good agreement with those obtained from the alkaline methods.