In this study, we detected nine different types of fatty acids in 10L of human serum using conventional GC–MS after derivatization to methyl esters using PTSA as an acid catalyst. Among the identified fatty acids, GLA and DGLA concentrations were significantly lower in women than in men. This difference may be due to differences in the biosynthetic production and/or metabolic processes of fatty acids in men and women.
In future studies, we will further investigate the differences in serum concentrations of fatty acids between healthy subjects and patients with neurological disorders, such as schizophrenia.