ERIC Number: EJ1471684
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-May
Pages: 6
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1470-8175
EISSN: EISSN-1539-3429
Available Date: 2025-02-13
Combining the Folch Method with a Simplified Alternative Fat Extraction Technique for Use in a Colorimetric Assay to Measure the Degree of Unsaturation in Fat Samples in a Biochemistry Laboratory
Vimoshini Pragash1; Meran Keshawa Ediriweera2
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education, v53 n3 p305-310 2025
The Folch method is a commonly employed, simple biochemical procedure used to extract fat from food items and biological samples in biochemistry laboratories. The iodine number of fat reflects its degree of unsaturation. In the present study, the iodine number of fat extracted using the Folch method from cow milk, goat milk, chicken egg yolk and coconut milk was determined using a simple colorimetric procedure that comprises an iodine solution in ethanol and a starch solution, replacing the Wijs reagent and conventional titration procedures with sodium thiosulfate standard solutions. Resembling the Folch method, a low-cost alternative approach, utilizing kerosene oil, isopropyl alcohol, and water, which can be used to extract fat from commonly consumed liquid food items, was also developed in the present study as a simple and reliable approach. The extracted fat from the proposed method can be sent to a biochemistry laboratory to determine the iodine number using the proposed 96-well plate-based colorimetric procedure. The proposed methods are suitable for laboratories in low-income settings.
Descriptors: Biochemistry, Science Laboratories, Laboratory Procedures, Science Experiments, Food, Scientific Concepts, Laboratory Equipment
Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Department of Biomedical Science, BMS School of Science, Colombo, Sri Lanka; 2Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Colombo, Sri Lanka