Fat extraction methodology can affect the food fatty acid profile: Improvement of a protocol more environmentally friendly

Fatty acids (FAs) are biochemical components of food, essential for human health due to their numerous biological functions. However, many of then if consumed in excess can trigger disfunctions/illness. Therefore, analytical methods, such as gas chromatography (GC-FID) are essential for the accurate identification and quantification of FAs, playing an important role in food safety and quality assessment. The aim of this study was to compare two FAs extraction protocols and to adapt, optimize, and validate a new one for food FAs extraction, considering the principles of green chemistry (sustainability and environmentally friendly). The research included four main steps: (A) comparison of two FAs extraction protocols for Gas Chromatography Flame Ionization Detector (GC-FID) analysis; (B) adaptation and optimization of four new extraction protocols; (C) verification of the most promising protocol; and (D) evaluation of the greenness profile. Comparatively, the PE2 protocol detected a greater diversity of FAs and a wider range of medium/long chain saturated fatty acids (SFA), but with divergences from values declared on food labels, mainly in the quantification of unsaturated fatty acids (UFA), unlike PE1, which presented lipid fraction values closer to nutritional information and greater extraction of short/medium chain FAs. The improved protocol, PE6, proved to be more efficient in extracting short, medium, and long chain FAs, as well as having SFA and UFA values closer to nutritional values in different food matrices. Furthermore, PE6 also showed improvements in relation to green chemistry aspects, presenting a higher greenness profile score, which indicates that it is more sustainable and generates less environmental impact. These results underscore the importance and relevance of continuing to develop analytical methods for food that are both effective and environmentally responsible.