Rapid chromatographic analysis of fatty acid anilides suspected of causing toxic oil syndrome

A rapid method for isolation and determination of fatty acid anilides of palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic, linolenic, and erucic acids from oil samples was developed. Corn oil samples mixed with the fatty acid anilides were diluted with petroleum ether, passed through silica gel Sep-Pak cartridges, and washed with petroleum ether. The fatty acid anilides were eluted with petroleum ether-diethyl ether (19:1, v/v), dried under a vacuum, separated, and quantitated by reversed-phase thin-layer and high-performance liquid chromatographic methods. The recovery was between 79 and 97% for the anilides from the fortified oil sample. This method can be used for the identification and quantitation of the fatty acid anilides found in adulterated oil samples.