Identification by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry of long-chain fatty acids and alcohols from hamster meibomian glands using picolinyl and nicotinate derivatives.

Meibomian secretions from the hamster were hydrolysed with base and examined as TMS, [2H9]TMS, methyl ester/TMS, picolinyl ester/TMS and nicotinate/TMS derivatives by capillary GC/MS. Over 90 compounds, representing over 89% of the hydrolysed fraction, were identified. Fatty acids with chain lengths from 10 to 32 carbon atoms were found, the most common of these were in the C15 to C18 and in the C25 to C30 regions. Chain types were predominantly iso or anteiso branched, mono-unsaturated (C16 and C18) and straight. Fatty alcohols were mainly from the iso or anteiso series and tended to have longer chain lengths; the major alcohols had anteiso-25 and 27 and iso-26-chains. In these respects the secretions were similar to those reported earlier from other species, although fewer mono-unsaturated compounds with longer chains (C20 to C30 region) were found than in the rat and human. The steroid fraction was characterized by a larger number of compounds than normally present in secretions of this type. The major compound was cholesterol, in common with that in all other examined species except the rabbit.