Free Fatty Acids in Saw Palmetto

Saw Palmetto extracts are complex mixtures of fatty acids typically standardized to contain 85-95% total fatty acids. This total includes a “free” fatty acid content in the 75-85% range and up to 20% free fatty acid esters. Many saw palmetto products are formulated with other vegetable oils. When the total fatty acid content of these products is determined, triglycerides present in these oils are hydrolyzed, liberating fatty acids that contribute to the total fatty acid result. This produces a fatty acid profile and content that is not specific to the fatty acids originating form the saw palmetto extract in the product. Eurofins Scientific offers the food industry extensive experience and the most advanced analytical solutions to assure the safety and nutrition of products up and down the value chain.

Eurofins Scientific offers the most advanced analytical solution that utilizes derivatization of the free fatty acids with a reagent that does not hydrolyze or transesterify fatty acids present as methyl or ethyl esters, triglycerides, or wax esters. Fatty acid methyl and ethyl esters, which may be present in saw palmetto extracts, are resolved from the derivatives formed in the new procedure. For this reason, these “free” fatty acid results are expected to be lower than those obtained from procedures that utilize fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) derivatives.

Eurofins Scientific also offers procedures for determining total fatty acids (with hydrolysis), fatty acid ethyl esters, and phytosterols in saw palmetto extracts and products. All of these procedures utilize separation and quantitiation by gas chromotagraphy with flame ionization detection (GC-FID).

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