THE FATTY ACID COMPONENTS OF INDIAN BUFFALO GHEES
By K. T. ACHAYA and B. N. BANERJEE , Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore
(Received for publication on 17 September 1945)
THE work consists of the analyses by ester-fractiona-
tion methods of Indian ghee.
In the choice of buffalo ghee for analysis, several
factors were considered. Firstly this product is
by far the most widely used type of ghee in India.
Secondly the literature reveals only three former
analyses of buffalo ghee [Bhattacharya and Hilditch,
1931; Heiduschka and Cicekdagi, 1940] of which
two were Indian and even these were chosen at
random and were not specially characteristic in
any way. These three analyses have been quoted
later in the course of the discussion.
In the choice of typical specimens the basis used
was the content of lower fatty acids as reflected in
the Reichert-Meissl and Polenske values. The sum
of these two values for buffalo ghee varies from
about 15 to about 40, and so it was thought desirable
to study three specimens of normal (30.8), high
(37.4) and low (20.7) R.M. respectively. This would
not only be merely representative and indicative
of any constancy of feature wherewith to detect
adulteration with foreign fats, but interesting from
the theoretical point of view in that it would indicate
which acid or acids, if any, compensated for this.
high or low content of lower acids.
EXPERIMENT
The sample of low R.M. ghee obtained from the
Porbandar State had been stored for a long time
and was rancid at the time of analysis, and hence
another fresh sample was procured and analysed.
The fresh samples have been recorded as 1, 2 and 3
and the rancid sample as 4. The ghees were dried
with anhydrous sodium sulphate, filtered and stored
in glass-stoppered brown bottles in an ice-box till
required.
The analyses were carried out by the ester-frac-
tionation method with an electrically heated and
packed column using the method employed by
Smith and Dastur [1938] of direct methanolysis
and separation of the lower acids in some quantity
before undertaking the Twitchell separation. The
separation of the esters is illustrated by the detailed
statement of results (Table I, A, B, C, D) obtained
in the case of the normal R.M. ghee sample 2. Con-
siderations of space do not permit of the full details
of the other analyses.
TABLE I(A)
Lower esters
Fraction
L0 . . . .
L1. . . .
L2. . . .
L3. . . .
L4. . . .
L5. . . .
L6. . . .
L7. . . .
L8. . . .
L9. . . .
L10. . . .
L11. . . .
L12. . . .
L13. . . .
L14. . . .
L15. . . .
L16. . . .
L17. . . .
L18. . . .
L19. . . .
B. pt. at
2 mm. from
(°C.)
..
30
41
48
60
61
78
96
106
110
112
122
129
133
138
142
148
150
151
152
Temp, of
middle
(°C.)
..
48
69
78
99
118
139
143
147
151
156
161
165
169
175
176
178
181
181
182
Weight
(gm.)
7.905
0.323
0.420
0.472
0.792
0.979
1.188
1.576
2.048
1.999
1.901
1.823
2.387
3.106
2.687
3.801
2.704
2.994
2.420
1.559
43.084
Percentage
of total
esters
5.06
0.21
0.27
0.30
0.51
0.63
0.76
1.00
1.32
1.28
1.22
1.17
1.53
2.00
1.73
2.44
1.74
1.92
1.56
1.00
27.65
M. Wt.
. .
133.1
145.1
177.6
191.0
211.0
213.5
226.9
238.5
241.0
247.9
251.6
251.6
253.1
255.6
260.7
261.5
264.6
273.9
272.6
I. V.
. .
12.57
11.49
9.46
7.97
6.38
4.80
7.69
7.19
5.39
6.59
7.29
7.58
8.32
9.02
9.31
11.61
14.07
18.86
16.21
M. Wt. of
saturated
esters
(by cal-
culation)
. .
129.3
154.9
177.2
191.4
210.9
213.5
227.8
238.4
241.1
248.4
253.0
252.5
254.3
254.5
259.9
260.7
264.0
275.5
273.5
271
D