Analytical Sciences

Determination of Fatty Acids in Human Sweat during Fasting Using GC/MS

Yoko NUNOME,* Takao TSUDA,** and Kuniyuki KITAGAWA***

*Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Furo, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8603, Japan
**Pico-Device, Co., Ltd., NAGOYA-IKO-RENKEI Incubator, 2-22-8 Chikusa, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-0858, Japan
***EcoTopia Science Institute, Nagoya University, Furo, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8603, Japan

Fatty acids (FAs) are biological molecules that are used as major metabolic fuels, and are concerned in important metabolic processes. We have performed a non-invasive and technically rapid and simple method for collecting sweat from humans, followed by GC/MS determination. The sweat was collected from each volunteer (the middle finger) by spraying 70% ethanol aqueous solution (no harmful solvent) into a 1.5-cm³ plastic vial. Analysis of FAs in sweat showed that the sweat solution contains lauric acid (C12:0), myristic acid (C14:0), palmitic acid (C16:0), oleic acid (C18:1), and stearic acid (C18:0). Here, it is demonstrated that FA concentrations for 4 young subjects correlated positively with percent of body fat (r = 0.78) and that the total FA levels for them increased progressively with increasing fasting time when a subject fasted throughout the experiment.

J-STAGE: View this article in J-STAGE