Microtitration of free fatty acids in plasma.

I HE MICIIODETERMIXATION of fiee fatt acids (FFA) in plasma has received colisiderable attelition in recent years (1-8). Although a riumher of different procedures Ilave beemi reported, most of them consist of 2 essential steps: tire extraction of tire FFA from plasnla with orgamlic solvents, an(1 the titration of the extracted FFA in a 2-phase system with a standard aqueous base. Various extraction procedures have been explored, hut the one described by 1)ole (1-2) appears to be tile least complicated and most convenient. This single extraction procedure, somewhat modified, Ilas been used successfully in this laboratory. However, attempts to employ the described 2-phase titration were unsatisfactory, and reliable end points using the suggested indicators (thymol blue and Nile blue) were found difficult to detect. Accordingly, this study was undertaken in an effort to devise a relatively simple and reliable titration procedure for plasma FFA determinations. Materials and Methods