Fatty acid methyl ester
Encyclopedia
A fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) can be created by an alkali
catalyzed reaction between fat
s or fatty acid
s and methanol
. The molecules in biodiesel
are primarily FAMEs, usually obtained from vegetable oils by transesterification
.
Since every microorganism
has its specific FAME profile (microbial fingerprinting), it can be used as a tool for microbial source tracking (MST). The types and proportions of fatty acids present in cytoplasm membrane and outer membrance (gram negative) lipids of cells are major phenotypic trains.
Clinical analysis can determine the lengths, bonds, rings and branches of the FAME. To perform this analysis, a bacterial culture is taken, and the fatty acids extracted and used to form methyl esters. The volatile derivatives are then introduced into a gas chromatagraph, and the patterns of the peaks help identify the organism. This is widely used in characterizing new species of bacteria, and is useful for identifying pathogenic strains.
Alkali
In chemistry, an alkali is a basic, ionic salt of an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal element. Some authors also define an alkali as a base that dissolves in water. A solution of a soluble base has a pH greater than 7. The adjective alkaline is commonly used in English as a synonym for base,...
catalyzed reaction between fat
Fat
Fats consist of a wide group of compounds that are generally soluble in organic solvents and generally insoluble in water. Chemically, fats are triglycerides, triesters of glycerol and any of several fatty acids. Fats may be either solid or liquid at room temperature, depending on their structure...
s or fatty acid
Fatty acid
In chemistry, especially biochemistry, a fatty acid is a carboxylic acid with a long unbranched aliphatic tail , which is either saturated or unsaturated. Most naturally occurring fatty acids have a chain of an even number of carbon atoms, from 4 to 28. Fatty acids are usually derived from...
s and methanol
Methanol
Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol, wood alcohol, wood naphtha or wood spirits, is a chemical with the formula CH3OH . It is the simplest alcohol, and is a light, volatile, colorless, flammable liquid with a distinctive odor very similar to, but slightly sweeter than, ethanol...
. The molecules in biodiesel
Biodiesel
Biodiesel refers to a vegetable oil- or animal fat-based diesel fuel consisting of long-chain alkyl esters. Biodiesel is typically made by chemically reacting lipids with an alcohol....
are primarily FAMEs, usually obtained from vegetable oils by transesterification
Transesterification
In organic chemistry, transesterification is the process of exchanging the organic group R″ of an ester with the organic group R′ of an alcohol. These reactions are often catalyzed by the addition of an acid or base catalyst...
.
Since every microorganism
Microorganism
A microorganism or microbe is a microscopic organism that comprises either a single cell , cell clusters, or no cell at all...
has its specific FAME profile (microbial fingerprinting), it can be used as a tool for microbial source tracking (MST). The types and proportions of fatty acids present in cytoplasm membrane and outer membrance (gram negative) lipids of cells are major phenotypic trains.
Clinical analysis can determine the lengths, bonds, rings and branches of the FAME. To perform this analysis, a bacterial culture is taken, and the fatty acids extracted and used to form methyl esters. The volatile derivatives are then introduced into a gas chromatagraph, and the patterns of the peaks help identify the organism. This is widely used in characterizing new species of bacteria, and is useful for identifying pathogenic strains.