Free Fatty Acids
Free Fatty Acids
Introduction to Free Fatty Acid (FFA) Targeted Metabolomics
Free Fatty Acid (FFA) Targeted Metabolomics Service technology workflow
Technology Superiority of GC-MS Free Fatty Acid Analysis
Applications of Free Fatty Acid Quantification
Comprehensive FFA quantification reveals metabolic reprogramming in cancer, where enhanced fatty acid synthesis and oxidation support tumor growth and survival. Monitoring specific FFA patterns can uncover lipid-driven oncogenic pathways, immune–metabolic crosstalk, and treatment resistance mechanisms. These molecular signatures serve as actionable indicators for evaluating drug efficacy, metabolic targeting, and precision oncology development.
Dynamic changes in FFA composition provide sensitive indicators of pharmacological and nutritional interventions. Quantitative FFA profiling supports studies on lipid-modulating drugs, dietary fatty acid utilization, and host–microbiome metabolic interactions. Integrated with PK/PD and time-course analysis, these data enable mechanism-of-action elucidation and translational insight into lipid-based therapeutic strategies.
In plants, FFAs are central intermediates in lipid biosynthesis, energy storage, and signaling. Their composition dynamically responds to abiotic and biotic stresses such as drought, salinity, temperature fluctuations, and pathogen attack. FFA profiling reveals adaptive metabolic shifts and informs the study of lipid remodeling, membrane stability, and stress tolerance. In oilseed and crop research, FFA profiles also correlate with oil content, composition, and quality traits, supporting breeding, germplasm evaluation, and metabolic engineering.
List of Free Fatty Acid Analytes
| Index | Abbr. | Compound | CAS No. |
| 1 | C6-0 | hexanoic acid | 142-62-1 |
| 2 | C8-0 | octanoic acid | 124-07-2 |
| 3 | C9-0 | nonanoic acid | 112-05-0 |
| 4 | C10-0 | decanoic acid | 334-48-5 |
| 5 | C11-1n1c | cis-10-undecenoic acid | 112-38-9 |
| 6 | C11-0 | undecanoic acid | 112-37-8 |
| 7 | C12-1n1c | cis-11-dodecenoic acid | 65423-25-8 |
| 8 | C12-0 | dodecanoic acid (lauric acid) | 143-07-7 |
| 9 | C13-1n1c | cis-12-tridecenoic acid | 6006-06-0 |
| 10 | C13-0 | tridecanoic acid | 638-53-9 |
| 11 | C14-1n5c | cis-9-tetradecenoic acid (myristoleic acid) | 544-64-9 |
| 12 | C14-0 | tetradecanoic acid (myristic acid) | 544-63-8 |
| 13 | C15-1n5c | cis-10-pentadecenoic acid | 84743-29-3 |
| 14 | C15-0 | pentadecanoic acid | 1002-84-2 |
| 15 | C16-1n7c | cis-9-hexadecenoic acid (palmitoleic acid) | 373-49-9 |
| 16 | C16-1n7t | trans-9-hexadecenoic acid (trans-palmitoleic acid) | 10030-73-6 |
| 17 | C16-0 | hexadecanoic acid(palmitic acid) | 57-10-3 |
| 18 | C17-1n7c | cis-10-heptadecanoic acid | 29743-97-3 |
| 19 | C17-1n7t | trans-10-heptadecenoic acid | 126761-43-1 |
| 20 | C17-0 | heptadecanoic acid(margaric acid) | 506-12-7 |
| 21 | C18-3n6c | cis-6,9,12-octadecatrienoic acid(gamma-linolenic acid) | 506-26-3 |
| 22 | C18-2n6c | cis-9,12-octadecadienoic acid(linoleic acid) | 60-33-3 |
| 23 | C18-1n9c | cis-9-octadecenoic acid(oleic acid) | 112-80-1 |
| 24 | C18-2n6t | trans-9,12-octadecadienoic acid(linoelaidic acid) | 506-21-8 |
| 25 | C18-3n3c | cis-9,12,15-octadecatrienoic acid(alpha-linolenic acid) | 463-40-1 |
| ... | ... | ||
Contact for a full list.
Sample Requirement for Free Fatty Acid Analysis
| Sample Class | Sample Type | Sample Description | Recommended sample size | Minimum sample size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plant Samples | Tissue | Stem, Shoot, Node, Leaf, Root, Flower, Pollen, Cotyledon, Seed | 300 mg | 200 mg |
| Liquid I | Root exudates, Alcohol | 2 ml | / | |
| Liquid II | Fermentation liquid, Tissue fluid, Extract solution, Juice, Plant oil | 200 µl | 50 µl | |
| Human/Animal samples | Liquid I | Plasma, Serum, Hemolymph, Whole Blood, Milk, Egg White | 100 µl | 50 µl |
| Liquid II | Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF), Interstitial fluid (TIF), Urine, Pancreatic Juice, Bile, Peritoneal Effusion, Lenticular Fluid, Rostral-tail Fluid, Tissue Fluid, Culture Medium (liquid), Sputum Supernatant, Tears, Aqueous humor, Digestive Juices, Bone Marrow (liquid) | 100 µl | 50µl | |
| Liquid III | Seminal Plasma, Amniotic Fluid, Prostatic Fluid, Rumen Fluid, Respiratory Condensate, Gastric lavage fluid, Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid (BALF), Urine, Sweat, Saliva, Sputum | 500 µl | 50 µl | |
| Tissue I | Small Animal Tissues, Placenta, Blood clot, Nematode, Zebrafish (whole fish), Bone Marrow (solid), Nail | 100 mg | 20 mg | |
| Tissue II | Large Animal Tissues, Whole Insect body, Wings (of insects), Pupae, Eggs, Cartilage, Bone (solid) | 500 mg | 20 mg | |
| Tissue III | Zebrafish Organs, Insect Organs, Whole micro-insect body (e.g., Drosophila) | 20 units | / | |
| Others | Solid I | Feces, Intestinal Contents, Lyophilized Fecal Powder | 200 mg | 20 mg |
| Solid II | Milk Powder, Microbial Fermentation Product (solid), Culture Medium (solid), Medium, Lyophilized Tissue Powder, Feed, Egg yolk, Lyophilized Egg Powder | 100 mg | 20 mg | |
| Solid III | Honey, Nasal Mucus, Sputum | 2 g | 500 mg | |
| Solid IV | Sludge, Soil | 600 mg | 300 mg | |
| Cell I | Adherent Cells, Animal Cell Lines | 2×10^7 cells | 1×10^7 cells | |
| Cell II | E.Coli, Yeast Cells | 1×10^10 cells | 5×10^8 cells | |
| Cell III | Small Amount of Fungal Mycelial, Bacterial/Mycelial, Unicellular Algae (Cyanobacteria), Large quantities of Bacterial Hyphae (sediment), Mucilaginous Leptopelagic Cluster (hyphae), | 100 mg | / | |
| Organelle I | Lysosomes, Mitochondria, Endoplasmic Reticulum | 4×10^7 cells | 1×10^7 cells | |
| Organelle II | Exosomes, Extracellular Vesicles | 2×10^9 particles | 1×10^8 particles | |
| Special Sample I | Skin Tape or Patch | 2 pieces | 1 piece | |
| Special Sample II | Test Strips | 2 pieces | 1 piece | |
| Special Sample III | Swab | 1 piece | 1 piece |
Case Study of GC-MS Free Fatty Acid Profiling
(Supported by MetwareBio’s free fatty acid analysis)
Article: Carbohydrate Repartitioning in the Rice Starch Branching Enzyme IIb Mutant Stimulates Higher Resistant Starch Content and Lower Seed Weight Revealed by Multiomics Analysis
Abstract:
The starch branching enzyme IIb mutant (be2b) in rice significantly increases the resistant starch (RS) content and leads to reduced seed weight. However, the underlying metabolic mechanisms remain unclear. Proteomic analysis indicated that upregulation of starch synthase IIa (SSIIa) and SSIIIa and downregulation of BEI and SSI were possibly responsible for the decreased short amylopectin chains (DP 6-15) and increased longer chains (DP > 16) of be2b starch. The upregulation of granule-bound starch synthase led to increased amylose content (AC). These changes in the amylopectin structure and AC accounted for the increased RS content. α-Amylase 2A showed the strongest upregulation (up to 8.45-fold), indicating that the loss of BEIIb activity enhanced starch degradation. Upregulation of glycolysis-related proteins stimulated carbohydrate repartitioning through glycerate-3-phosphate and promoted the accumulation of tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates, amino acids, and fatty acids. The unexpected carbohydrate partitioning and enhanced starch degradation resulted in the reduced seed weight in the be2b mutant.
Possible metabolic pathway of fatty acids in the be2b endosperm (Chen et al., 2022)
Reference
Chen Y, Luo L, Xu F, Xu X, Bao J. Carbohydrate Repartitioning in the Rice Starch Branching Enzyme IIb Mutant Stimulates Higher Resistant Starch Content and Lower Seed Weight Revealed by Multiomics Analysis. J Agric Food Chem. 2022;70(31):9802-9816. doi:10.1021/acs.jafc.2c03737
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