Fatty Acid Analysis of Manduca Sexta

Introduction

The purpose for the midgut's fatty acid analysis was to determine whether arachidonic acid is available in the midgut for prostaglandin biosynthesis. There is previous research that indicates that M. sexta midgut is competent to synthesize prostaglandins (Büyükgüzel, 2002). 

Team members (Tri Huynh, Lien Phun, Jenny Truong, Kristin Williams) performed a fatty acid analysis of the midgut from fourth instar tobacco hornworm larvae (Manduca sexta). The larvae were dissected, the midgut removed, and the lipids were extracted for fatty acid analysis by mass spectrometry.

The fatty acid analysis took two days in Dr. Stanley's lab at UNL East Campus with Mr. Putnam and Dr. Hasan Tunaz. The procedure was done on Friday, April 26 and Saturday, April 27.