Assessment of Fatty Acid Content in Various Brands of Imported Oils in Ethiopia by Gas Chromatography

Edible oil is a vital component of our diet. It is composed of different types of fatty acids. The type and proportion of fatty acid in oil determines the nutritional value, physical and chemical properties of edible oil and is also implicated in its quality for consumption. The main objective of this study was to assess and evaluate the fatty acid content and their type in imported edible oils widely consumed in Ethiopia. Five edible oils were analyzed for their fatty acid composition by Gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometric detector (GC-MS). Fatty acid profile was determined after fatty acids were transformed to their corresponding fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs). The result of this study showed that Chief palm oil, Hayat palm oil and Mona palm oil contain the highest percentage of total saturated fatty acids, 69.97%, 53.53%, and 50.11% respectively. Palmitic acid and stearic acid were the predominant saturated fatty acids in these oils. Among the evaluated oils, the highest content of unsaturated fatty acids were determined in sunflower oil (84.41%), and soybean oil (79.55%) with the predominant presence of linoleic acid and oleic acid, compared to total unsaturated fatty acid in Mona palm oil (48.89%), Hayat palm oil (46.29%) and Chief palm oil (28.53%). The fatty acid composition of soybean oil contains a healthy mixture or proportion of all the types of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. In addition it contains balanced proportion of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid and P/S index value greater than one. Therefore, soybean oil presented the healthiest fatty acid profile followed by sunflower oil and Mona palm oil, while Chief palm oil presented the least healthy fatty acid profile.