Figure 19 Chromatogram showing the separation of steradienes, tocopherols, alkanes, stanols, and sterols on the combined CP-sil-13 and CP-sil-8 column. Peak identification sterol region: 1=cholestanol, 2=24-methyl cholesterol, 3= campesterol, 4=campestanol, 5=stigmasterol, 6=unknown, 7=unknown, 8= ∆7-campesterol, 9=clerosterol (tentative), 10=β-sitosterol, 11=sitostanol, 12= ∆5-avenasterol, 13=∆7 stigmastenol (tentative), 14=∆7 avenasterol (tentative).

Upon detailed analysis of the PS/PSE content and ratio in consumer products or fatblends with the method described in Sect. III. C it might be observed that relatively high levels of analytes (though in absolute sense still extremely low), corresponding to the carbon number 40 area (CN40) are detected (Fig. 20). Initially CN40 analytes in a PSEcontaining sample could be explained as PS esters with relatively short FA chains. That is, CN40 is the carbon number made up of a PSE with CN28 for the sterol part (campesterol, sitosterol) and a CN12 fatty acid (note: CN42 is the combination of a CN28

sterol with a C14 FA, and CN44 is the combination with C16, etc.). However, upon further inspection of the FA composition of the common fat blends used as FA source for PSEs this seems unlikely. The

Component Conc. (g/kg) SD (%) Part A: Early eluters Squalane 2.1 7.8 Alkane #1 2.9 1.3 δ-Tocopherol 15.6 7.2 β/γ-Tocopherol 29.2 6.7 Campestadiene 4.9 5.3 Alkane #2 10 2.8 Stigmastatriene 4.5 3.0 Sitostadiene 9.1 4.5 α-Tocopherol 3.8 7.8 Cholesterol 3.4 2.4 Cholestanol 0.9 8.9 Brassicasterol 3.2 1.8 Part B: Sterol/stanols Cholesterol 3.4 10.5 Brassicasterol 3.1 10.5 24-Methyl cholesterol 1.7 11.0 Campesterol 239 1.3 Campestanol 10.3 4.8 Stigmasterol 190 1.2 ∆7-Campesterol 4.1 9.1 Clerosterol 3.4 8.9 Sitosterol 344 1.1 Sitostanol 13.6 4.4 ∆5-Avenasterol 6.2 4.0 a The same method also provides data on a number of common impurities present in sterol/stanol raw materials.